In 2003, Estée Lauder announced a new face for its cosmetics. Liya Kebede, a model from Addis Ababa, became the company’s first Ethiopian representative and was widely reported as its first Black spokesmodel. She was already on the covers of fashion magazines. Over the following years she used that fame to campaign for something far from the catwalk: the lives of mothers and babies.
Addis Ababa
Kebede was born in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and was discovered by a film director while still at school. She moved to Paris to pursue modelling and soon worked for leading designers.
Top of the industry
In the early 2000s, Kebede walked for major fashion houses and appeared on the covers of international editions of Vogue. She was one of the most successful African models of her generation, alongside figures such as Alek Wek.
Estée Lauder
Her Estée Lauder contract in 2003 was a landmark. It was one of the most prominent beauty contracts ever given to an African model and signalled changes in how the beauty industry presented women.
WHO Goodwill Ambassador
In 2005, the World Health Organization named Kebede its Goodwill Ambassador for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health. She spoke about the high rates of maternal death in Ethiopia and other countries and the simple measures that could prevent many of them.
Her foundation
She founded the Liya Kebede Foundation to reduce maternal, newborn and child deaths in Ethiopia and around the world, supporting health workers and community programmes.
lemlem
In 2007, Kebede launched lemlem, a fashion brand that works with traditional Ethiopian weavers. The name means “to bloom” or “flourish” in Amharic. The brand sells clothing, beachwear and accessories made by artisans, aiming to preserve weaving skills and create jobs for women.
Acting
Kebede also acted, playing the Somali model and activist Waris Dirie in the 2009 film Desert Flower, about Dirie’s campaign against female genital mutilation.
A model for others
Kebede’s career showed young African women that modelling could be a platform for influence. Her combination of fashion business, health advocacy and acting set an example for the African models who followed.
Ethiopian fashion
Through lemlem, Kebede helped bring Ethiopian handwoven cotton to international stores. The brand’s light, colourful pieces drew on traditional Ethiopian dress while appealing to customers abroad.
Many models are famous for a few seasons. Kebede has stayed visible for two decades, and her most important work has happened far from the cameras.
