Clear 75° » 5-day

You are not logged in

New York Magazine

Skip to content, skip to search, or go to the top of the page.

Skip to content, skip to navigation, or go to the top of the page.

Model bio for Liya Kebede Next bio

Liya Kebede

Liya Kebede's photoGETTY

Nationality:
Ethiopian
Birthday:
January 3, 1980
Born in:
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Lives now:
New York, NY
Agencies:
IMG
Known for:
My legs
Status:
Cover girl, established, good girl
Married:
Kassy Kebede
Children:
Suhul, Raee
Friends with:
Angela Lindvall, Caroline Ribeiro, Carolyn Murphy, Diana Dondoe, Heidi Klum, Karolina Kurkova, Mariacarla Boscono, Nathan Bogle, Paulina Porizkova, Raquel Zimmermann, Veronica Webb
Model turned…
Activist (WHO Goodwill Ambassador, 2005), actress (The Good Shepherd, 2006), designer (Lemlem line of kid’s clothing, 2007)

Career

Yves Saint Laurent, 2001

Jan 3, 1980
Born in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
1998
Moves to Paris to try modeling
Sep 1999
Debuts at the spring Ralph Lauren and BCBG Max Azria shows in New York
2000
Marries fellow Ethiopian Kassy Kebede, a hedge-fund manager
Sep 2000
Tom Ford personally selects Kebede for his Gucci show
2001
Gives birth to son, Suhul
2001
Becomes the face of Yves Saint Laurent
Sep 2001
Appears in Harper’s Bazaar editorial, photographed by Patrick Demarchelier
May 2002
Featured on cover of French Vogue
May 2002
Appears on the cover of Russian Vogue topless with Karolina Kurkova and Carmen Kass
Nov 2002
Walks the annual Victoria’s Secret fashion show Video »
2003
Patrick Demarchelier photographs Kebede for Tommy Hilfiger
2003
Becomes the face of Dolce & Gabbana, photographed by Steven Meisel
Feb 2003
Becomes the first black model to sign a deal with Estée Lauder
Jun 2003
Appears in an editorial for Vogue, photographed by Arthur Elgort, becoming a favorite thereafter
Sep 2003
Appears on the cover of i-D
Sep 2003
Appears in Vogue editorial, photographed by Steven Klein
2004
Becomes the face of Tiffany's & Co.
2004
Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott photographs Kebede for Louis Vuitton
Feb 2004
Walks the fall Anna Sui, Calvin Klein, Burberry, Fendi, Marni, and Chanel shows in New York, Milan, and Paris
2004
Steven Meisel photographs Kebede for Escada alongside other top models
2004
David Sims photographs Kebede for Balenciaga
May 2004
Appears on the cover of Numéro
Aug 2004
Featured on the cover of Italian Flair alongside Erin Wasson
Sep 2004
Featured on cover of Vogue with Natalia Vodianova, Isabeli Fontana, and other top models, photographed by Steven Meisel
Sep 2004
Appears on cover of Harpers & Queen
Sep 2004
Appears on cover of Essence
Feb 2005
Appears on the cover of Spanish Vogue
Mar 2005
Appointed by WHO as the Goodwill Ambassador for Maternal, Newborn & Child Health Video »
Mar 2005
Appears in an editorial for French Vogue, photographed by David Sims
May 2005
Featured on the cover of Vogue, photographed by Steven Meisel
Aug 2005
Gives birth to daughter, Raee
Sep 2005
Has a role as Faith in Nicholas Cage movie Lord of War
Sep 2005
Walks the spring Baby Phat, Oscar de la Renta, Dolce & Gabbana, Balenciaga, Christian Dior, and Lanvin shows in New York, Milan, and Paris
Sep 2005
Featured on her second cover of i-D while pregnant
Feb 2006
Opens the fall Diane von Furstenberg show in New York
Mar 2006
Appears in several editorials for Vogue
2006
Appears in Ann Taylor and Gap fall ad campaigns
2006
Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin photographs Kebede for Givenchy
Dec 2006
Has a role as Miriam in the film The Good Shepherd, which stars Matt Damon and Angelina Jolie and was directed by Robert DeNiro
Feb 2007
Opens and closes the fall Roberto Cavalli show in Milan
Feb 2007
Closes the fall Balenciaga show in Paris
Jul 2007
Forbes ranks her among the highest-paid supermodels in the world
Aug 2007
Creates a line of children’s clothing called Lemlem (meaning “to bloom” in Amharic), with pieces that are handmade in Ethiopia and combine traditional weaving and embroidery techniques with modern silhouettes
Sep 2007
Included in Vanity Fair’s International Best-Dressed List
Sep 2007
Opens and closes the spring Derek Lam show in New York
Oct 13, 2007
Named Vogue's second best dressed of the week in a red Vena Cava cocktail dress Photo »
2008
Mario Testino photographs Kebede for the Lord & Taylor spring ad campaign alongside Lauren Hutton, Carolyn Murphy, and rising star Abbey Lee
2008
Contract with Estée Lauder ends
Jan 2008
Appears in Harper's Bazaar editorial, photographed by Terry Tsiolis
Feb 2008
Opens the fall Aquascutum and Emanuel Ungaro shows in London and Paris
Feb 2008
Closes the fall Armand Basi show in London
Mar 2008
Appears in Vogue editorial, photographed by Norman Jean Roy
Mar 2008
Releases her line of children's clothes, Lemlem
Apr 30, 2008
Named the world’s fifteenth highest-paid model by Forbes, having made a reported $1.5 million in the past year »
May 2008
Featured on the cover of British Harper's Bazaar, photographed by Alexei Hay
Jul 2008
Featured on the cover of the all-black issue of Italian Vogue, photographed by Steven Meisel

Quoted

“Honestly, I wish I could’ve lived in their time. They had so much fun.”

On the supermodel era, as published in Vogue

Fashion Show Shortcuts