The Modern Lolita: Why Are We So Obsessed?

Lily Cole, now 28, represents the trajectory of little girl on cusp pushed to become sexual icon. Lily booked her first British Vogue cover at just 16 and was named model of the year by age 17. Her career began even earlier: she was photographed professionally as young as 13.

But by the time she was in her early twenties, grocery store pop mags were reporting her as fat and tired out. While she may always be baby-faced, the thrust of her modeling and acting career seemed to die out as she out-aged the cusp of womanhood. When her curves came in, the fashion industry lost interest. In a world where young is always the hottest thing a woman can be, real grown women who don't play into the little girl image tend to fade.

With all these Lilys we can't help but fixate on the image of lily-white, pure Daphne, lacking sexual desire of her own but driven to disembodiment by the oppressive sexual desire of Apollo's male-gaze.

[Photo via @lilycole]