Ageless Style Liya Kebede

The 40-year-old model and Lemlem founder stands for artisanal luxury.

My goal for Lemlem is to be a positive case study that helps the fashion industry recognise Africa as a source of outstanding creativity and high quality artisanal production. The brand started as an attempt to solve a problem I first noticed in my hometown of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: Weavers were losing work. At Lemlem we focus on creating meaningful and lasting jobs for artisans while promoting the traditional art of weaving and other handcrafting techniques.

After 12 years it’s amazing to see how much we’ve affected their lives. We produce and source in five African countries and employ 250 craftspeople, offering fair wages that have increased fivefold.