( CNN ) -- Fashion season is once again upon us . Celebrities , trendsetters and buyers across the world will adorn the front rows of countless runways as the sartorially elite reveal their style edicts for the season ahead . But what is it like to rub shoulders with fashion 's finest ? Over the next week , CNN 's African Voices is teaming up with Ethiopian supermodel , designer and maternal health advocate Liya Kebede to offer an exclusive insight into her multi-faceted world . Kebede will post a daily diary of her life on Instagram showing us mere mortals the events she attends , meetings she 's involved in while reflecting on how her roots have shaped the woman she is today . Then we 'll gather the diary together and release it in interactive form next week . But if you ca n't wait until then , follow Kebede throughout the week via the hashtag # CNNAfrica on Instagram and Twitter . Who is Liya Kebede ? Born in Addis Ababa , Ethiopia in 1978 , Kebede had been attending the French Lycee when she was scouted by a French film director and so began her rise to the top . Upon finishing her education , she joined a Parisian modeling agency before moving to Chicago and then New York . When she hit the Big Apple , there was no turning back . In the fall of 2000 , the multi-talented designer and future director Tom Ford handpicked Kebede to walk the catwalk for his autumn/winter Gucci collection . It was the big break Kebede had been waiting for . A year later , she would sit for prolific photographer Patrick Demarchelier for Harper 's Bazaar , feature as cover girl on numerous fashionista bibles including Vogue and tread the runways for Chanel , Dolce and Gabbana , Burberry and Fendi , to name a few . Despite the supermodel success , Kebede has never forgotten where she came from . When an opportunity arose to launch her own fashion line , Lemlem -- meaning `` to flourish or bloom '' in Amharic -- in 2007 , Kebede drew inspiration from her native land . She embraced the traditional hand-woven style from back home , in the hope of offering employment and business opportunities for the country 's long-established weavers , and incorporated it into her collections . Returning to her roots . Kebede also works tirelessly to put a spotlight on the needs of millions of mothers and newborns in Ethiopia through her philanthropy , The Liya Kebede Foundation , launched in 2005 alongside her appointment as a World Health Organization goodwill ambassador , a role she held until 2011 . The Foundation supports training , and education about safe birth delivery services with the aim to substantially reduce preventable deaths in communities like the ones she grew up near.. As a mother of two , it 's a cause close to her heart . `` When I went back to Ethiopia , I wanted to do something . I wanted to give back , '' Kebede previously told CNN , `` Here we are today . But in a hundred years how do you want the world to be ? Everybody should get together to make the world a better place . '' A supermodel , businesswoman , philanthropist , activist and mother -- that 's a lot of hats and Kebede will show us just how she manages to do it all .
Liya Kebede is an Ethiopian supermodel scouted in Addis Ababa while at school . Her big break came when she was selected by Tom Ford to walk his A/W Gucci line in 2000 . In 2007 she launched her own fashion label which provides business growth in Ethiopia . ` The first thing I noticed about the woman on my flight home from New York City was that she had a very large and beautiful nose. I wanted to give back ''