Ethiopians are a unique people and their culture is uniquely expressed in their clothing. When Ethiopian born supermodel Liya Kebede discovered the threat to the survival of Ethiopia’s hand woven and embroidered clothing, she decided to found Lemlem. 

lemlem:

n. 1) hand made in Ethiopia from natural cotton.
v. 2) [Amharic] bloom, flourish.
3) [history] Since ancient times in the land of the Queen of Sheba, the Ethiopian people have adorned themselves in beautiful hand woven and hand embroidered clothing. The hand spinning of cotton and intricate embroidery was the work of women while the hand weaving was done mainly by men. It is our wish to bring to you an incredible handwork and help preserve this ancient art form by creating opportunities for the Artisans.

Liya Kebede, in her capacity asWorld Health Organisation’s Goodwill Ambassador for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health, found that the ancient art of traditional weaving was being abandoned as modernization crept in the country and weavers began losing their jobs due to a decline in demand for their goods.

In 2007, Kebede founded Lemlem as a way of reviving and preserving her culture as well as granting relief to Ethiopia’s traditional artisans.  Since its start the company has grown steadily.  The clothing is available in boutiques worldwide as well as on their online shop.

Lemlem sells hand-woven clothing for women and children, as well as accessories.

Visit Lemlem to browse and purchase beautifully handmade clothing from Ethiopia.