Liya Kebede

Liya Kebede is an Ethiopian-born model, designer, actress, and influential maternal health advocate, born on March 1, 1978 in Addis Ababa. After being discovered as a student at Lycée Guebre Mariam, she quickly rose to international prominence—walking major fashion shows in Paris, Milan, and New York, appearing on the cover of Vogue over twenty times, and becoming the first Black global face of Estée Lauder in 2003 +15+15+15. Her reach expanded through founding the ethically-minded fashion brand Lemlem, which supports Ethiopian artisans and reflects her commitment to sustainable development Vogue+6+6Condé Nast Traveler+6.

Deeply motivated by her childhood experiences in Ethiopia, Kebede has devoted her platform to improving maternal, newborn, and child health across Africa. Appointed a WHO Goodwill Ambassador in 2005, she established the Liya Kebede Foundation in the same year to dramatically reduce maternal mortality through training healthcare workers, raising awareness of prenatal care, and supporting community-based interventions Người Nổi Tiếng+15+15Condé Nast Traveler+15. Her advocacy has been credited with significantly increasing hospital births and improving outcomes across Ethiopia and beyond Condé Nast Traveler+1Glamour+1.

Among Liya Kebede’s most memorable quotes are:

“Helping others isn’t a chore; it is one of the greatest gifts there is.” – highlighting her belief in the joy and meaning of service +15BrainyQuote+15A-Z Quotes+15.

“We can't end poverty if we fail to save the lives of our world's mothers.” – emphasizing the vital connection between women's health and broader development BrainyQuote+3A-Z Quotes+3Glamour+3.

“The best lesson that I've learned from my mother is that she just never accepted no for an answer.” – a tribute to her upbringing and resolve instilled early on A-Z Quotes+1+1.

Through her modeling, design, writing, and tireless humanitarian work, Liya Kebede stands as a powerful force for change—bridging fashion, business, and global health to uplift women and communities in tangible ways.