A life dedicated to fashion and to Ethiopia, Hellen Yirga—former model and manager—is the new guest of VISIONI | RAIY.

Hellen began her career in fashion at the age of seventeen, when discovered by a talent scout she began walking the most prestigious catwalks in the world. Passionate about scientific subjects, she studied Chemistry at high school and she graduated in Pharmacy at university. However, the calling to work the world of fashion got stronger, especially if linked to a social cause. In 2017, she founded her company, Yirga, a brand that produces Ethiopian leather garments made in Ethiopia and through which she creates training opportunities for the orphans of Addis Ababa.

VISIONI | RAIY is a series of conversations with Italian-Ethiopians artists and creatives. We talk about their life, work and vision—raiy in Amharic—delving into the different aspects of an Italian and Ethiopian identity, between presence and absence withing geographical, cultural and social boundaries.

VISIONI | RAIY is curated and produced by GRIOT in collaboration with the Italian Cultural Institute of Addis Abeba. The series is presented on the occasion of the XXI Week of The Italian Language in the World.