Trivia
Accepted at Cambridge University to study Politics and English
Attended Hallfield Infants and Junior School, then St Marylebone
girls school for secondary education and Latymer Upper School for sixth
form.
Attended Colville Primary school prior to Hallfield Infant and Junior School.
Model and actress.
Cole gained a place to read Social and Political Sciences at
King's College, Cambridge, but twice deferred entry before switching to
study History of Art, which she commenced in the Michaelmas term, 2008,
gaining a First in her examinations at the end of her first year, and
again in her second year examinations, one of seven members of her year
to achieve the grade.
Asked about the change of course, Cole explained,
"I like doing things I haven't learnt about yet. I've always been
interested in art, and I love doing art." Speaking to Judy Rumbold of
The Irish Independent, she said, "the decision came from the vague
notion that it might be a wise thing to do, that when I was 50, 60, 70,
I'd look back and be glad I did it". She gave an interview for The Daily
Telegraph in December 2009 in which she admitted she struggled to
settle in to her first year at Cambridge, conceding she was "a bit
shell-shocked, but I think everyone finds that".
In April 2007, Cole first featured in the Sunday Times Rich List,
which estimated her net worth at £6 million, ranking her as the
77th-richest young person in the United Kingdom. As of 2009, she is
thought to have earned in excess of £11 million.
Personal Quotes
I love modeling but also see it as a platform for the million other things I want to achieve and create in life.
Giving triggers social cohesion. It's also the basis for an economy not based on money.
As users of the Internet, we all have a role to play in defining what we want it to be.
When I was younger, I definitely did face anti-ginger prejudice.
As a child, all teasing hurts, whether it's because you're fat or a
different race or have red hair. I had enough comments from a couple of
people to make it a sore point.
There are so many great, great vintage clothes to find; there's a whole territory unexplored there.
Life is shining a light through a magnifying glass on me, looking for me to stumble. I think that's my biggest fear.
I've always gone after fears and tried to stifle them by doing them. It is daunting, but it's more rewarding.
I was like most teenagers. I wanted to look more conventional - you know, to just be the pretty girl in school.
The average Londoner knows just one neighbour. I travel a lot, and
I'm always surprised by the strong sense of community in some
countries. We've lost something fundamentally human, and we don't even
realise it.
I paint - I tend more to abstraction - but not as much as I would
like to because of time. I would love to do sculpture - I've toyed with
the idea of fitting in a sculpture course.
I guess I try and learn all the time from every experience in
life, so my thinking is a hybrid of everything. I'd have to attribute
some of that to my work in the fashion industry - in some obscure way.
Don't overpluck your eyebrows. A make-up artist told me this once, and I've always remembered it.
I usually have a lip balm in my bag and mascara as well. I don't
really wear much make-up, but I like mascara because I've got fair
colouring.
The narrative of so many fairy tales are timeless in so many
different cultures, and they have been since the dawn of man. They
represent escapism, but they all feature themes that have such poignancy
in a modern world.
I kind of see clothes a bit like role-playing, depending what mood I'm in.
I have set up several businesses as social businesses, and I am a
great believer that the power of business should be used for good.
I found going to school when I was modeling very grounding. It's really kept my perspective on bigger things in my life.
I don't believe there's an afterlife - but I don't believe there's
an end to life. Consciousness goes beyond the bounds of your body.
In British culture, redheads get teased at school. But I've grown up enough to realize I love my hair.
If I'm anywhere close to where I can hike or swim, that's my favourite thing to do.
I've always cared about issues, always thought through problems. I
don't know how much that comes from my personality or my mum.
I love yoga. I don't do it as much as I'd like to, but I feel wonderful when I do.
Talent is crucial. It needs to be driven by motivation, but blind ambition isn't the key.
Production chains, how consumers can drive change: all these
things may seem at odds with fashion, but arguably, they're not.
Modelling, fashion and film have all encouraged me to learn more
about issues and to feel empowered enough to do something about them.
It's hard to appreciate the importance of the rainforest because
it seems so far away, but it's vital to the survival of the planet as we
know it.
It doesn't make me very happy to be on my computer all the time. I've never been drawn to that world.
Acting is something I've done since I was six years old,
performing for my mum and my family in the living room, and I do it
because my heart's in it.
The need to protect the environment has emerged as an undeniably important priority for me.
I started modeling at 14. It's simple. You respond to what the
photographer wants and wear other people's ideas. I got bored with it,
though, so I went to university.
I love beautiful things; I like having nice clothes, and I can
appreciate why other people do - but I've also started to learn more
about the impact of what we buy: how things are made, how much you buy
and the quality of everything.
I have to admit I've always had quite a complex relationship with
modeling and with the idea of advertising: not always knowing what I'm
advertising and selling.
It's not that I don't believe in creativity and innovation and new
ideas, and the creativity that comes with fashion, which I really
respect. But one of my biggest concerns is just how cheap we expect
everything to be.
It was a scandal when I did French 'Playboy' in 2008, though I was
never actually nude in it. I think it's really funny that I'll have a
cover of 'Playboy' to show my grandkids.
I think models have a lot less power than they did in the '80s,
when there were, like, only 10 supermodels who could dictate the rules,
whereas now there's so many, and that changes the power dynamic and
makes it a more insecure business.
I think a lot of the most interesting work in art and in films are
often kind of polarized opinions and affect people in very different
ways, which may be less successful commercially, but they elicit a
dialogue that's quite interesting.
There is a degree of role-playing in modeling, for sure, and
you're also in a high-profile job - there are lots of similarities for
sure. But when I'm acting, I've got to try and be present, and I've got
to be emotionally committed to a character, both physically and
intellectually.
The relationship between art and a job is not quite linear, but I
really love any and all manifestations of art, really respect any kind
of artistic impulse, whether it's paintings and sculptures or really
good filmmaking or music. I really see the relationships between these
different mediums as very fluid.
Marilyn Monroe and Vivienne Leigh are real icons of mine. In terms
of visual culture, they are both so iconic. There weren't any paparazzi
shots of them falling out of taxis, so they will always look so
incredible.
With acting, if I'm any good at it, my modeling career would never
be a hindrance but would rather be a help. And if I'm not, then it
doesn't really matter.
