Ethiopian supermodel redefines what it is to be a renaissance woman.

BY CRISTINA GREEVEN CUOMO AND SAMANTHA YANKS | Hamptons Magazine

NEW YORK — At the Metropolitan Museum of Arts Costume Institute Gala last month, Ethiopian model Liya Kebede fit the “Model As Muse” theme perfectly — a stunning, slender and shining muse in a Derek Lam dress. But there is so much more beneath this supermodel's beautiful facade. With two kids (an eight-year-old son and a three-year-old daughter), a husband of 10 years, a sustainable children's clothing line called Lemlem and a design partnership with J.Crew's Crewcuts, it's a wonder she?s able to juggle so much and still look so lovely. And her recent Vogue cover depicts to a tee the manner in which she does so — gracefully and elegantly.

Kebede quickly emerged as one of the world?s top models, landing campaigns like Yves Saint Laurent and evolving far past the girl Tom Ford discovered years ago. As the World Health Organization's Goodwill Ambassador for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health and head of her own eponymous foundation supporting women in need worldwide, she understands the value of giving back and passing that important message along to her children
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HAMPTONS: What was the inspiration behind Lemlem?

LIYA KEBEDE: If I weren't a model I wouldn't have done it. As a model, I learned so much about clothes and the making of a garment. I'm from Ethiopia, and on one of our trips we visited local weavers working in poor conditions who didn't have a market for their products anymore. I was in a position to try to give them jobs, keep their art alive and also bring the sensibility of a unique garment to the West. That's the whole picture of how Lemlem was created. I started with children clothes because I love shopping for my children. It also gives kids here something beautiful that was made in Africa.

H: And how did the J.Crew Crewcuts initiative evolve?

LK: I met Mickey Drexler professionally as a model, and I suggested showing them the line, knowing they would love it. And they did. It evolved from me being a model for J.Crew to this bigger collaboration with them supporting this great endeavor.

H: What are some of your fashion must-haves this summer?

LK: I was in Paris for the shows and I bought beautiful K.Jacques sandals. I also love Proenza Schouler, Marc Jacobs, Derek Lam and Lanvin.

H: How did your modeling career begin?

LK: I modeled when I was in Ethiopia, doing little fashion shows for school. I fell in love with it and thought I would model to pay off my college tuition. I went to Paris and had a rough time, then moved to America and pursued it. I was in Chicago for two years before I made the big move to New York. I was here for about a season before I booked my first Tom Ford show. I feel like Tom discovered me.

H: This year you're starring in a film that chronicles another model's career. Tell us more.

LK: It's the story of Waris Dirie, a Somalian model in the '90s. She ran away from home as a young girl to flee an arranged marriage. She was discovered by Terence Donovan while working in London and became a renowned model. At the height of her career she became a goodwill ambassador and spoke for the first time about how she was circumcised as a little girl. She had an incredible life, and she wrote an autobiography called Desert Flower. We made the movie from that book.

H: You?re also a goodwill ambassador. Do you travel often for the UN?

LK: I was in Senegal before Christmas for an AIDS conference. It's always nice to go on the ground because you get such a better understanding of what is going on there.

H: And when you're in the Hamptons, what are your favorite things to do?

LK: We play tennis a lot. And we love the quiet. To be able to open your door and go out in the garden and have that still moment while the kids can be in the backyard — I find that beautiful and very relaxing. The kids are in the pool the whole day. We go grocery shopping, and they have cute toy stores. We also love going to the cinema in East Hampton.

H: What are your goals for your foundation?

LK: We try to help mothers get basic health care during pregnancy and delivery. Every minute a woman dies during pregnancy or childbirth, often from things that are completely treatable or preventable. In five years I want the whole world to know about this issue. We want maternal health to be a priority. I would love for Mother's Day to become a celebration of mothers around the world — a day not just for your mom, but to remember others and to help save a mother in another part of the world.

H: You managed to make your business "sustainable." How does that work?

LK: The challenge is to help these women be independent by giving someone a job so they can earn money, support their families and send their kids to school.

H: And how do you think President Obama is doing?

LK: Fantastic. It's such a moment for us to have him as president. The way everybody sees America has completely transformed since he's been in office, and everybody is looking up to him. For me and my kids, living in America, it's so great to see a black president. I'm not sure I thought I would ever see it in my lifetime. And now for my kids it?s something normal, which is priceless.