Lily Cole

Lily Luahana Cole is an English model, actress, entrepreneur, and author. Born on 27 December 1987 in Torquay, Devon, she was raised in London by her mother, Patience Owen, an artist and writer, following the departure of her father, Chris Cole, during her infancy. Cole attended Hallfield Primary School, the Sylvia Young Theatre School, St Marylebone School, and Latymer Upper School. She earned a place at King's College, Cambridge, where she ultimately studied history of art and graduated with a double first in 2011.

Cole's modelling career began after photographer Mariano Vivanco shot her in 2001 and agent Benjamin Hart approached her in 2003. She signed with Storm Models and appeared on her first British Vogue cover at the age of 16. Recognized for her red hair, she earned the "Model of the Year" award at the 2004 British Fashion Awards and received another nomination in 2007. In 2009, Vogue Paris named her one of the top 30 models of the 2000s. Over her career, she has walked international runways and featured in campaigns for fashion houses and brands such as Alexander McQueen, Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Jean Paul Gaultier, Moschino, Longchamp, Rimmel, and The Body Shop.

Cole made her film acting debut as Polly in the 2007 comedy St Trinian's. Her first leading role came as Valentina in Terry Gilliam's 2009 fantasy film The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus. She subsequently appeared in films such as Sally Potter's Rage (2009), Roland Joffé's There Be Dragons (2011), Mary Harron's The Moth Diaries (2012), and Shekhar Kapur's short film Passages.

In addition to feature films, Cole has taken on television, stage, and music video projects. She made her stage debut playing Nina in a Cambridge student production of The Seagull. Her television work includes an appearance as a Sea Siren in a 2011 episode of Doctor Who and playing the title role in the 2017 docu-drama miniseries Elizabeth I. She has also appeared in music videos for artists including Paul McCartney, Primal Scream, and Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and co-wrote the 2018 short film Balls.

Beyond entertainment and fashion, Cole has established several business and literary initiatives. In 2009, she helped launch The North Circular, an eco-friendly knitwear brand. In 2013, she founded impossible.com, an innovation group and incubator. Cole published the book Who Cares Wins in 2020, which focuses on environmental challenges and human impact on the planet, adapting it into a podcast in 2021.

Cole actively supports various humanitarian and environmental organizations, including WaterAid, the Environmental Justice Foundation, Trees for Cities, and the World Land Trust. In 2013, she received an honorary Doctor of Letters from Glasgow Caledonian University for her environmental and humanitarian contributions. In her personal life, Cole has a daughter born in 2015 with her partner Kwame Ferreira, publicly identified as queer in 2021, and maintains a pescatarian, mostly vegan diet.