Liya Kebede

These stories and more in our daily news roundup.

• We now know what not to expect from J.W. Anderson's future collections. "I hate dresses," he said. "Nowadays women want to mix things, a dress limits you in that capacity." [Telegraph]
• On Liya Kebede's holiday wish list this year? Donations. [T Magazine]
• Bulgari has joined the Rodeo Drive Walk of Style. [L.A. Times]
• The Birkin has been reincarnated in its most exotic material yet: Legos. [Design Taxi]
• Comme des Garcons is set to open its very first New York store next year. [WWD]
• In the wake of the recent shakeups at Ford Models, Laura Love has left for DNA models. [Page Six]




• Watch out, Martha Stewart: Diane von Furstenberg may just be the next great hostess on the scene. [Elle]
• The Fendi Casa showroom in Miami played host to an Andy Warhol exhibition during Art Basel. [Harper's Bazaar]

Photo via Lemlem.

Liya Kebede says having a more active role in her modeling work is what's kept her interested and fresh after over a decade in the industry.

Kebede, who recently starred in an editorial in T Magazine's Fall 2012 women's style issue, said she feels more engaged in her work now than she has in the past — and working with people like Cass Bird, who shot the pictures for T, helps.

"Working with people I haven't worked with before is always exciting, because I've done modeling for so long," Kebede says. "I feel like all the pictures that I do now are more collaborative than they used to be before, which I really like — having an input in stuff. And so it's more of a team effort, and so I enjoy it, in a way, more."

The model also runs a clothing line called Lemlem that she founded to help employ weavers in her native Ethiopia, and she also runs a foundation dedicated to the health of mothers and children in third-world countries. Where does she find time to manage it all that and model for everyone from Balenciaga to H&M?

"I think you just kind of do it," Kebede says. "I don't think I have a very perfect organized plan about it. I kind of do what needs to be done in whatever order it has to be done, kind of thing. It's quite chaotic, but it's nice. I like it."

Source: T Magazine

For model Liya Kebede, Cannes feels like magic. "It gets into you the minute you arrive here," she said this morning. "It's very glamorous, and I like that it's very international as well. You see all these different people from all over the world coming with their films, which is great." It's been a big year for Liya, who was named a L'Oréal Paris brand ambassador last June and is making forays into the film world. She's currently working on The Best Offer from Cinema Paradiso director Giuseppe Tornatore.

There's more to Liya than her stunning looks, though. She won a BellaSugar beauty award thanks to her philanthropic efforts. Her eponymous foundation is dedicated to improving maternal health, and she's created a clothing line, Lemlem, which helps support craftswomen in her native Ethiopia. Today, the supermodel talked about her various work endeavors and shared her best tips on beauty, the inside scoop on her own makeup routine, and more.

BellaSugar: It's pretty surreal here. Have you ever had an incredible Cannes moment?
Liya Kebede: I think you get it every time you get here. Last time, I ran into Woody Allen in the lobby. You can't believe it — it's just insane. There's so many of these great people and stars. At some point, you don't even react anymore. You get overstimulated. Every corner is some incredible person, or you go to a party and it's full of everybody. It's amazing. You just go, "I'm in Cannes!"

BellaSugar: And part of Cannes, is of course, getting made up and looking great, which you're quite familiar with, I'm sure. What's the best tip you've learned from the pros?
Liya Kebede: Less is more. If you're going do an eye thing, then don't do a lip thing. Try to find a balance about what you do. Also, nothing is necessarily specific — using a lip thing on your eye or cheeks is fine, and it works, and it's light. Play around! Nothing is so fixed.

For the rest of our chat with Liya, just read more

>> Those stories and more in our daily news roundup.