Quick Facts

Liya Kebede is a successful model, actress, and fashion designer. Liya Kebede is an active and vocal philanthropist who has served as the WHO’s Ambassador and runs her own non-profit organization called “Liya Kebede Foundation” in addition to being a groundbreaking Ethiopian model.

How much is the net worth of Liya Kebede?

Model, actor, health advocate, and clothes designer Liya Kebede has had success in all of these fields. Her achievements have increased her wealth to $18 million. She was also ranked as the 11th highest-paid supermodel in 2007 by Forbes, with earnings of $2.5 million.

She is not currently listed as a brand ambassador for any companies or goods. She will, however, undoubtedly participate in important brand endorsements in the near future.

Childhood and Nationality: Where was she born?

Liya Kebede was born in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on March 1, 1978. She was born in the year 1973 and is 45 years old. She has also avoided discussing her parents, siblings, and other family members. In Addis Abeba, she attended the Lycée Guebre-Mariam, a French international school.

Meanwhile, a film director noticed her and introduced her to a French modeling agent. After finishing her studies, she moved to Paris to pursue modeling at the age of 18, and later to New York City. The stunning 41-year-old model is of American-Ethiopian descent, and her religion is half-Christian and half-Muslim. However, no information about her parents or family has been revealed.

What is the Professional Career of Liya Kebede?

Kebede’s professional career began when she moved to Paris at the age of 18. She walked the runway for several major brands, including ‘Ralph Lauren’ and ‘BCBG Max Azria.’ Her big break, however, came when Tom Ford offered her an exclusive contract for the Gucci Fall/Winter 2000 fashion show.

After quickly establishing herself in the competitive Paris modeling scene, she relocated to New York to continue her meteoric rise. Soon after, in 2002, she was the face of the cover of Paris Vogue, which dedicated the entire issue to her. She appeared on the covers of Italian, Japanese, American, French, and Spanish Vogue, V, Flair, i-D, and Time’s Style & Design in the years that followed.

Similarly, she was chosen to appear in an advertisement alongside Shiatzy Chen, Victoria’s Secret, Emanuel Ungaro, Tommy Hilfiger, Revlon, and Louis Vuitton. In 2003, ‘Estée Lauder’ signed Liya to a historic contract, making her the company’s first black model in its 57-year history.

In 2007, Forbes ranked her 11th on their list of the world’s top 15 highest-earning supermodels. Furthermore, Liya was the first black Estee Lauder model. She was also signed to a three-year, $9 million contract with Estee Lauder Cosmetics. Liya is also the founder of the Liya Kebede Foundation for Mothers and Children.

As a model, actress, and more

Liya’s acting career began in 2009, when she played the lead in the film Desert Flower, based on the bestselling autobiography Desert Flower by former supermodel Waris Dirie. Her other film credits include Black Gold (2011), Sur la Piste du Marsupilami (2012), and Nicky Larson et le Parfum de Cupidon (2019).

Kebede also appeared in the films The Good Shepherd (2006) and Lord of War (2007) in minor roles (2005). Liya was also one of several models featured in Lacoste’s “new look” campaign in January 2011. This is a new advertising concept for the year. It was also done under the new tagline, “Unconventional Chic.” Mert and Marcus shot the commercials.

Models were dressed in the iconic white Lacoste polo shirts, which were worn over fancy black eveningwear. Similarly, she co-starred in a Calvin Klein ad with Jake Gyllenhaal, and she was recently named a “New Super” by models.com.

Working as a Fashion Designer

With the launch of her fashion label ‘LemLem’ in 2008, she officially began her career as a fashion designer. The clothing line celebrates Ethiopian traditional weaving while also providing employment opportunities for local artisans. Liya was a successful model and actress who focused her philanthropic efforts on public health issues.

Liya was appointed as the World Health Organization’s “Goodwill Ambassador for Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health” in 2005. She even used her celebrity and wealth to establish the ‘Liya Kebede Foundation.’ Furthermore, this organization is dedicated to reducing maternal, child, and morbidity in Ethiopia and throughout the world.

Awards and Achievements

Kebede is a devoted philanthropist. As a result of her charitable work through her Liya Kebede Foundation, she was named one of Glamour’s Women of the Year 2013. Liya has had a successful career as a model, actress, health advocate, and fashion designer.

Her achievements have resulted in a net worth of $18 million dollars. Furthermore, Forbes named her the 11th highest-earning supermodel in 2007, with a salary of $2.5 million.

Relationship Situation: Who is Liya Kebede married to?

Kebede married Ethiopian hedge fund manager Kassy Kebede in 2002. In New York City, the couple lived together for 13 years. They also had two children: Suhul, born in September 2000, and Raee, born in August 2005. However, the couple separated in 2013 and publicly divorced in 2015.

Scandals and Rumors

The Ethiopian-born beauty, who has served as a World Health Organization goodwill ambassador, has lived her life gracefully, not revealing any personal information about herself to the public. Her divorce from ex-husband Kassy Kebede, on the other hand, was a topic of public interest that has now passed.

Body Measurement: What is the Height and Weight of Liya Kebede?

Liya has maintained a very fit body structure, as the body of a model requires. She stands 5 feet 10 inches tall and weighs 57 kilograms. Her tiny body frame, on the other hand, measures 33-23-34. Likewise, her shoe size is 4 (US), and her dress size is 9. (US). Aside from that, she has dark brown hair that matches her eyes.

Social Media Presence

Liya has also influenced people through her social media profiles. That is, she continues to actively share her life experiences and happy moments on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

As a result, she has amassed a large number of followers across all of her social media accounts, including 245k on Instagram, 670.1k on Facebook, and 55.5k on Twitter. She also joined Twitter in October 2008.

FAQs

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