Lily Cole
A Vogue cover model at 16 who traded the runway's glare for the quiet rigor of Cambridge and a life of activist entrepreneurship.
Born 1987 (age 39)·English actress, model and film director·Birthday: December 27·Millennials
Biography
Lily Cole's face, with its otherworldly porcelain beauty, became one of the most recognizable of the 2000s, gracing campaigns for Chanel and landing her first British Vogue cover before she could drive. But the London-born model was always more than a photograph. While dominating fashion weeks, she was also quietly studying for her A-levels, a hint of the intellectual depth that would define her path. She stunned the industry by enrolling at Cambridge University, earning a double first in History of Art. This academic pursuit signaled a permanent shift. Cole moved selectively into acting, with roles in 'The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus,' and later into directing. She co-founded Impossible.com, a social network promoting altruistic acts, and became a vocal environmental campaigner and author. Her journey is a conscious recalibration of fame, using her platform not for self-promotion but for systemic change, making her one of fashion's most thoughtful escape artists.
Millennials
1981–1996
The first digital natives. Grew up with the internet, came of age during 9/11 and the 2008 crash. Highly educated, deeply indebted, slower to marry and buy houses. Redefined work, identity, and what it means to be an adult.
Lily was born in 1987, placing them squarely in the Millennials. The events that shaped this generation — the internet revolution, 9/11, and the 2008 financial crisis — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Lily Was Born
The biggest hits of 1987
#1 Movie
Three Men and a Baby
Best Picture
The Last Emperor
#1 TV Show
The Cosby Show
Lily's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1987Born
Black Monday stock market crash
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $72,400Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Walk Like an Egyptian" — The BanglesBest Picture: The Last Emperor
1992Started school
LA riots after Rodney King verdict
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $84,300Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"End of the Road" — Boyz II MenBest Picture: Unforgiven
2000Became a teenager
Y2K passes without incident; contested Bush-Gore election
Gas: $1.51/galHome: $119,600Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Breathe" — Faith HillBest Picture: Gladiator
2003Could drive
US invades Iraq; Human Genome Project completed
Gas: $1.59/galHome: $146,000Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"In Da Club" — 50 CentBest Picture: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2005Could vote
Hurricane Katrina devastates New Orleans; YouTube launches
Gas: $2.30/galHome: $167,500Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"We Belong Together" — Mariah CareyBest Picture: Crash
2008Turned 21
Barack Obama elected first Black US president; financial crisis
Gas: $3.27/galHome: $153,100Min wage: $6.55/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Low" — Flo RidaBest Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
2017Turned 30
#MeToo movement; solar eclipse crosses the US
Gas: $2.42/galHome: $195,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Shape of You" — Ed SheeranBest Picture: The Shape of Water
2026Age 39 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Named 'Model of the Year' at the British Fashion Awards in 2004 at the age of 16.
- Graduated from the University of Cambridge with a double first-class degree in History of Art.
- Co-founded Impossible.com, a social enterprise and gift economy platform encouraging acts of kindness and skill-sharing.
- Directed and starred in the short film 'The Last of the Mohicans,' which premiered at the 2017 London Film Festival.
Did You Know?
She was discovered at age 14 while eating a burger in Soho, London.
She is an ambassador for the environmental charity WWF-UK.
She published a book of fairy tales, 'The Lily Cole Book of Fairytales,' in 2017.
She played a small role as a teenage Soames in the 2002 film 'The Hours.'
“I think the most radical thing you can do is to be kind.”
