Daily Front Row

2007 July 30

Liya Kebede Launches Lemlem

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(NEW YORK) Liya Kebede is the latest fashion plate to translate her honed maternal instincts into a burgeoning clothing line. The 29-year-old supermodel and face of Estée Lauder, who catapulted to worldwide fame after Tom Ford discovered and signed her to an exclusive contract in 2000 with Gucci, has created a line of children’s clothing called Lemlem, which means “to bloom” in Amharic, a Semitic language from Kebede’s native Ethiopia. The line is geared primarily toward children aged three months to 10 years old, and is expected to launch in early 2008 in limited distribution. All the pieces are handmade in Ethiopia and combine some traditional weaving and embroidery techniques with modern silhouettes. In addition to her charitable work done through Estée Lauder, Kebede was in 2005 appointed a World Health Organization Goodwill Ambassador for maternal, newborn, and child health. Most recently, she established The Liya Kebede Foundation to reduce maternal, newborn, and child mortality. Kebede, who’s also dabbled in acting with minor roles in The Good Shepherd and Lord of War, has two children with husband Kassy, including a six-year-old son named Suhul and a two-year-old daughter, Raee.