Liya launched a line of children’s clothes

Liya Kebede is one busy woman: The mother of two is a model, an actor, an activist, and a goodwill ambassador. Oh, and she’s just getting her feet wet creating a line of children’s clothes.

One of Liya Kebede’s proudest achievements came in the mail. Among the bills and catalogs was an envelope with designs for the tags to be sewn into every garment made by Lemlem, her new children’s-wear line. And there, in plain letters, were three little words that amounted to one big triumph: made in Ethiopia.


Bear in mind, the Addis Ababa native—who now lives in Manhattan with her husband, Kassy; their 7-year-old son, Suhul; and their 2-year-old daughter, Raee—has bragging rights to a few other accomplishments: In addition to being a top model (she first made a name for herself in 2000 on the Milan runways) and an actress, she was named a World Health Organization goodwill ambassador in 2005 for raising awareness of health risks to mothers and children in the developing world. In 2006, she launched the Liya Kebede Foundation (for which she received our Smart Cookie Award last April) to address the same concerns.

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