Gelila Assefa and husband Wolfgang Puck

The popular fashion magazine Bazaar selects Ethiopian fashion designer and philanthropist Gelila Assefa Puck (gelilastyle.com) as among the best dressed celebrities of 2009.

Click here to see all of Bazaars "Best Dressed Celebrities of 2009″

Last November, Gelila announced a partnership with the Orphaned Starfish Foundation to fund a new computer lab for a school run by the Ethiopian Children's Fund (ECF) in rural Aleltu, Ethiopia.

Gelila Assefa Puck is an internationally known designer of fine couture gowns and handbags, and philanthropist who was born and schooled in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Gelila's couture fashion brand, Gelila Style, is rooted in her East African heritage and today is principally focused on a distinctive handbag line, which includes simple, classic clutches and bags made from crocodile, ostrich and African springbok.

Former Miss Ethiopia Sehin Belew says women do not have to be rich to be fashionable

By Jackson Mvunganyi

Take care of yourself…and then accept yourself. That's the message of Sehin Belew, a former Miss Ethiopia who has been living in the United States for the past couple of decades. She works as an image consultant, giving advice on beauty, health and fashion. Her new book, Fabulous for Less, is about her philosophy on fashion and health.

Sehin encourages women to make the most of what they have. "Health is very important," she says adding, "People should be mindful of their bodies and take time to exercise." She warns that beauty does not mean that you are thin but rather that you "have the right attitude." She also says people should be "savvy" in the way they care for their skin.

Sehin warns that people should be careful of appearance because "sometimes we are judged by the way we look." She says one's appearance could have an impact on one's professional life. But she adds that good fashion sense doesn't always mean having to pay a lot for clothing.