Liya Kebede, Ethiopian Super Model, Excels On 30 Hours A Day

Accomplishments so grand make us wonder if some are operating on 26-30 hours per day while the rest of us have accepted the man made created theory that there are only 24 hours in a day.

Too many lives are played out like a well-written Independent film featuring characters living one dimensional unhappy pathways and a day to day existence with limited imaginations and the constraints that go with that.

Then there are the brilliant who live such multi-faceted exciting lives, it leaves you wondering how in the world do they do it?

Liya Kebede is a Super Model.

Not only is she brilliant, she is incredibly beautiful as well.

Maybe that has something to do with it. It’s a good start.

When you examine Liya’s life, it can make you wonder if she is operating on a 30 hour clock.

AS A BRAND AMBASSADOR

In 2003, Liya was named the newest face of Estée Lauder cosmetics, the only Ethiopian to serve as their representative in the company’s 57-year history. Her contract was rumored to be worth $3 million.

At this time in Liya’s career, she was ranked #1 on models.com

When you are selected to represent L’Oréal Paris, you are in incredibly elite company. They are incredibly excited about Liya.

**fciwomenswrestling.com article, photo via L’Oreal Paris Hair Care Collection campaign (Summer 2015)**

At loreal-paris.co.uk they raise their glasses in celebration. “Throughout her diverse career, Liya Kebede has carved the status of a great philanthropist and now, she stands as a proud L’Oréal Paris Brand Ambassador.

Liya frequently dazzles on the red carpet, not only as an enormously successful model, but also as a well-respected fashion designer and actress. Amongst others, she starred in the award-winning film Desert Flower, an adaptation of model Waris Dirie’s autobiography.

Liya has graced the covers of Italian, Japanese, American, French and Spanish Vogue and has fronted campaigns for designers from Tom Ford to Louis Vuitton. In 2007, she expanded her presence within the fashion industry with the launch of her Fairtrade clothing brand Lemlem. The brand supports the Ethiopian weaving trade and in 2008, its first collection to be handmade in Ethiopia was released. As a product of Liya’s interest in fashion and avid humanitarianism, Lemlem gives Ethiopian craftspeople a vital economic opportunity.

Liya’s altruism goes far beyond her fashion ventures. After being appointed the WHO Goodwill Ambassador for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health, she founded the Liya Kebede Association. The association endeavors to reduce mother and child mortality, while improving living conditions for families across the world. Working in close collaboration with many other highly respected bodies like UNICEF, the association helps mothers and children globally.”

Wouldn’t you agree that endorsement is very impressive? And the time factor too. She must have more hours in a day than the rest of us.

AS AN ACTRESS

We love watching the unpredictability of French films.

One film that was not only unpredictable, vibrant and intense as well is Le Capital.

**fciwomenswrestling.com article, Mars Distribution France photo credit**

Le Capital is a 2012 French drama film directed by Costa-Gavras, about ruthless ambition, power struggle, greed and deception in the international world of finance.

The storyline goes, the newly appointed CEO of a giant European investment bank works to hold on to his power when an American hedge fund company tries to buy out his company.

What we loved about this film is that it was absolutely intense from beginning to end. We also love that Liya was starring in this production as well.

The master at film reviews rogerebert.com add, “Greed, for lack of a better word, is perhaps not as good as it used to be. It’s ugly and treacherous, and unabashedly so, in “Capital,” a financial thriller set in the highest echelons of France’s wealthy and powerful.

Veteran director Costa-Gavras, who made his name decades ago with films that sharply addressed political issues—most notably, “Z” and “Missing“—focuses his attention this time on the kind of unscrupulous, unchecked money grab that caused the 2008 economic collapse. Like “Arbitrage” and “Margin Call,” which depicted that cataclysmic moment in our recent history, “Capital” features men behaving badly but with only a few glimmers of panic. His film remains suspenseful and his hero—or rather, his anti-hero—remains remorseless.

Then there’s the hard-partying and seemingly ubiquitous supermodel Nassim (Liya Kebede), who wants to get close to him, only to push him away.”

Wow, Liya. What a player.

In 2009, Liya starred in the film-adaption of the bestselling autobiography Desert Flower by former supermodel Waris Dirie.

The film recounts Dirie’s childhood in Somalia, her rise to stardom and subsequent awareness campaign against female circumcision. It premiered at the Venice Film Festival and received a standing ovation.

Liya has also had minor roles in The Good Shepherd (2006) and Lord of War (2005).

We are very impressed.

LIFE AS A MODEL

In July 2007, with Liya earning $2.5 million over the previous 12 months, Forbes named her eleventh in the list of the World’s 15 Top-Earning Supermodels.

The following year, casting agent James Scully likened her to “an exotic Grace Kelly“.

In 2011, Liya was among the models featured in Lacoste‘s “new look” campaign in January, a different advertising concept for the year, under the new tagline, “Unconventional Chic”. The ads were shot by Mert and Marcus, showing models wearing the iconic white Lacoste polo shirts worn over fancy black eveningwear.

Liya launched Lemlem, a clothing line, in 2008. Lemlem, which means “to bloom” in Amharic, features hand-spun, woven and embroidered women and children’s clothing.

Our star founded the line to help preserve the art of traditional weaving in Ethiopia and to offer work opportunities to local artisans.

A SUPER STAR PHILANTHROPIST

In 2005, Liya was appointed as WHO Goodwill Ambassador for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health. She then founded the Liya Kebede Foundation, whose mission is to reduce maternal, newborn and child mortality in Ethiopia and around the world.

Let’s travel to her site lkfound.org, sit down in the audience and attentively listen to her message.

“Our Founder is spreading the message about maternal healthcare and the critical need for more skilled and compassionate midwives and health workers in Africa as part of Kenneth Cole’s Fall 2016 The Courageous Class campaign.

Supermodel, designer and maternal health advocate Liya Kebede launched The Liya Kebede Foundation for mothers in 2005.

Our mission is to improve the lives of women in Africa by addressing one of their top health concerns – better access to life-saving maternity care. To that end we invest in health worker training and maternal health advocacy activities.

Why Moms?

Nearly 300,000 mothers die from complications of pregnancy and childbirth every year and 1 million newborns die on their birth day.

The loss of a mother is a tragedy. Each mother leaves an average of 4 orphaned children behind whose health, education and future potential suffer.

Africa is one of the dangerous continents to give birth in large part because of a severe shortage of skilled health workers who can provide essential medical care to moms and newborns. In fact half of all women in Africa lack the recommended care during pregnancy and childbirth.

Together, our goal is to train 15,000 midwives to reduce the high rate of maternal mortality across seven countries including Ethiopia, Kenya, Mozambique, Senegal, South Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda. These midwives could provide care and health education to 7.5 million mothers. Midwives save lives and have a major impact on women’s health. Visit www.amrefusa.org to learn more about this campaign.”

In a world with so many growing issues, there is a sense you have to take them on one at a time. Liya’s foundation is spreading the word along with real hope.

Why don’t we visit the village that helped raise our multi-talented super star?

Liya Kebede was born on March 1, 1978 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Addis Ababa, “new flower”; is the capital and largest city of Ethiopia. It has a population of 3,384,569 according to the 2007 population census, with annual growth rate of 3.8%.

As a chartered city, Addis Ababa has the status of both a city and a state.

Addis Ababa is often referred to as “the political capital of Africa” for its historical, diplomatic and political significance for the continent.

One of our favorite travel sites Lonely Planet loves the Addis Ababa experience as well. “Since its establishment in the 19th century, Addis Ababa has always seemed like a magical portal, a gateway to another world. For the rural masses of Ethiopia it was, and is, a city whose streets are paved in gold; for a foreign visitor, the gateway of Addis Ababa is at the verge of an ancient and mystical world.

And yet, Addis – Africa’s fourth-largest city and its diplomatic capital – is also a traffic-choked, sprawling city of no discernible beauty which many foreign visitors try to transit as quickly as possible. But take note: by skipping out on the contradictions of this complex city you run the risk of failing to understand Ethiopia altogether. And apart from anything else, Addis is the best place in the country to sample Ethiopian food, and has some wonderful museums and places to stay.”

Very honest portrayal.

Well, as we look at our watch, it does indeed seem to have 30 hours in a day.

Traversing the fascinating and extremely full life of Liya Kebede, you can wonder how in the world she accomplishes so much in such a short period of time.

We think we know her secret.

Life has certainly provided her with a greater share of natural beauty.