#angelika new york

[whetherweather]

I went to watch Nosferatu in NY, and the cinematography was outstanding. Sadly, I missed Scarface on 35mm. What I love about New York is the old school looking cinemas which is quite a rare sight in other cities—it truly feels like stepping back in time. I don't know why i'm drawn to old things, maybe I'm just an old soul.

Angelika Film Center, East Village, New York

December 27th 2024

[b-skarsgard]

Bill Skarsgård and FKA twigs attend the world premiere of "The Crow" at Village East by Angelika on August 20, 2024 in New York City.

[yawchannel]

Locations where A Different Man will be playing in the US so far, according to Showtimes.

CA (Burbank - AMC Burbank 16, LA - AMC The Grove 14)

NY (New York - Angelika Film Center & Cafe, AMC Lincoln Square 13)

IL (Oakland Park - Marcus Orland Park Cinema)

You can check the source and see the availability for tickets by clicking here.

A Different Man will be released September 20 in the US.

[princesssarisa]

Opera on YouTube 3

Il Barbiere di Siviglia (The Barber of Seville)

Mario Lanfrachi studio film, 1965 (Sesto Bruscantini, Valeria Mariconda, Ugo Benelli; conducted by Alberto Zedda; no subtitles)

Jean-Pierre Ponnelle studio film, 1974 (Hermann Prey, Teresa Berganza, Luigi Alva; conducted by Claudio Abbado; English subtitles)

New York City Opera, 1976 (Alan Titus, Beverly Sills, Henry Price; conducted by Sarah Caldwell; English subtitles)

Arena Sferisterio, 1980 (Leo Nucci, Marilyn Horne, Ernesto Palacio; conducted by Nicola Rescingo; no subtitles)

Teatro Real de Madrid, 2005 (Pietro Spagnoli, Maria Bayo, Juan Diego Flórez; conducted by Gianluigi Gelmetti; Arabic subtitles)

Teatro la Fenice, 2008 (Roberto Frontali, Rinat Shaham, Francesco Meli; conducted by Antonino Fogliani; Italian subtitles)

Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, 2009 (Pietro Spagnoli, Joyce DiDonato, Juan Diego Flórez; conducted by Antonio Pappano; English subtitles)

Vienna State Opera, 2019 (Rafael Fingerlos, Margarita Gritskova, Juan Diego Flórez; conducted by Evelino Pidó; English subtitles)

Arena di Verona, 2022 (Leo Nucci, Nino Machaidze, Dmitry Korchak; conducted by Daniel Oren; English subtitles)

Garsington Opera, 2023 (Johannes Kamler, Katie Bray, Andrew Stenson; conducted by Douglas Boyd; English subtitles)

Rigoletto

Wolfgang Nagel studio film, 1977 (Rolando Panerai, Franco Bonisolli, Margherita Rinaldi; conducted by Francesco Molinari-Pradelli; Japanese subtitles)

Metropolitan Opera, 1977 (Cornell MacNeil, Plácido Domingo, Ileana Cotrubas; conducted by James Levine; no subtitles)

Metropolitan Opera, 1981 (Cornell MacNeil, Luciano Pavarotti, Christiane Eda-Pierre; conducted by James Levine; no subtitles)

Jean-Pierre Ponnelle film, 1982 (Ingvar Wixell, Luciano Pavarotti, Edita Gruberova; conducted by Riccardo Chailly, English subtitles)

English National Opera, 1982 (John Rawnsley, Arthur Davies, Marie McLaughlin; conducted by Mark Elder, sung in English)

La Monnaie, Brussels, 1999 (Anthony Michaels-Moore, Marcelo Álvarez, Elizabeth Futral; conducted by Vladimir Jurowski; no subtitles)

Arena di Verona, 2001 (Leo Nucci, Aquiles Machado, Inva Mula; conducted by Marcello Viotti; Italian subtitles)

Zürich Opera house, 2006 (Leo Nucci, Piotr Beczala, Elena Mosuc; conducted by Nello Santi; no subtitles)

Paris Opera, 2016 (Quinn Kelsey, Michael Fabiano, Olga Peretyatko; conducted by Nicola Luisotti; English subtitles)

Teatro Massimo, 2018 (George Petean, Ivan Ayon Rivas, Grazia Schiavo; conducted by Stefano Ranzani; English subtitles)

Così Fan Tutte

Vaclav Kaslik studio film, 1969 (Gundula Janowitz, Christa Ludwig, Luigi Alva, Hermann Prey; conducted by Karl Böhm; English subtitles)

Jean-Pierre Ponnelle studio film, 1988 (Edita Gruberova, Delores Ziegler, Luis Lima, Ferruccio Furlanetto; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt; English subtitles) – Act I, Act II

Teatro alla Scala, 1989 (Daniela Dessì, Delores Ziegler, Josef Kundlak, Alessandro Corbelli; conducted by Riccardo Muti; Italian subtitles) – Act I, Act II

Théâtre du Châtelet, 1992 (Amanda Roocroft, Rosa Mannion, Rainer Trost, Rodney Gilfry; conducted by John Eliot Gardiner; English subtitles)

Vienna State Opera, 1996 (Barbara Frittoli, Angelika Kirschlager, Michael Schade, Bo Skovhus; conducted by Riccardo Muti; English and Italian subtitles)

Teatro Comunale di Ferrara, 2000 (Melanie Diener, Anna Caterina Antonacci, Charles Workman, Nicola Ulivieri; conducted by Claudio Abbado; no subtitles)

Zürich Opera House, 2000 (Cecilia Bartoli, Liliana Nikiteanu, Roberto Saccá, Oliver Widmer; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt; no subtitles) – Act I, Act II

Opera Lyon, 2007 (Maria Bengtsson, Tove Dahlberg, Daniel Behle, Vito Priante; conducted by Stefano Montanari; French subtitles)

Salzburg Festival, 2009 (Miah Persson, Isabel Leonard, Topi Lehtipuu, Florian Boesch; conducted by Adam Fischer; English subtitles)

Zürich Opera House, 2009 (Malin Hartelius, Anna Bonitatibus, Javier Camarena, Ruben Drole; conducted by Frans Welser-Möst; English subtitles)

Aïda

San Francisco Opera, 1981 (Margaret Price, Luciano Pavarotti; conducted by Luis Garcia Navarro; no subtitles)

Metropolitan Opera, 1985 (Leontyne Price, James McCracken; conducted by James Levine; English subtitles) – Act I, Act II, Act III, Act IV

Teatro alla Scala, 1986 (Maria Chiara, Luciano Pavarotti; conducted by Lorin Maazel; English subtitles)

Metropolitan Opera, 1989 (Aprile Millo, Plácido Domingo; conducted by James Levine; English subtitles)

Teatro Comunale di Busseto, 2001 (Adina Aaron, Scott Piper; conducted by Massimiliano Stefaneli; Italian subtitles)

St. Margarethen Opera Festival, 2004 (Eszter Szümegi, Konstantin Andreev; conducted by Ernst Marzendorfer; English subtitles)

Metropolitan Opera, 2012 (Liudmyla Monastyrska, Roberto Alagna; conducted by Fabio Luisi; Russian subtitles)

Tbisili State Opera, 2017 (Maqvala Aspanidze, Franco Tenelli; conducted by Marco Boemi; Russian subtitles)

Teatro Colón, 2018 (Latonia Moore, Riccardo Massi; conducted by Carlos Vieu; Spanish subtitles)

Teatro la Fenice, 2019 (Roberta Mantegna, Francesco Meli; conducted by Riccardo Frizza; French subtitles)

[little1too1dramatic]

2nd Week; 5 movies for Lolitas

Hiii (｡•̀ᴗ-)✧ You know, I´m something of a movie buff. However, this time I didn´t go for the best, or even the ones I enjoyed most (even if I liked all of the entries, of course) or even the objectivelly (critically) best ones. I think that those are good films for lolitas for various reasons. And spoiler - you won´t find Kamikaze Girls nor Marie Antoinette there.  1. Gypsy 83 Gypsy 83 is actually a goth film, but I feel like everyone who is a part of some subculture should see it. It´s about two friends, one who is struggling as a gay goth kid from a conservative town and one who is a plus size woman (with a lot of mommy issues) and their way to New York for Stevie Nicks night. Speaking of quality in road trip genre, it´s not another Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, but it´s about being true to yourself, even if your surroundings continue to let you down. Also, I love the soundtrack and wardrobes of our main characters! Honestly, maybe just skip it and watch Priscilla, Queen of the Desert? Less goths, but more drag queens.  2. Devil Wears Prada What does beggining of worst era for style and setting in a fashion magazine in common with EGL?  Honest love for fashion. Everyone who likes to watch out for trends, or likes their history, should watch this movie about people willing to do everything for fashion. Also, Meryl Streep is really chic here. Everyone feeling too old to dress nicely should watch her. 

3. Angelika Even though this might look a bit rough, the story is set in baroque and magnificent French castles. Gothic and baroque - the most lolita-sque of all historical styles.  If beautiful set isn´t enough, you will still love costumes! Angelika has a big wardrobe, so everyone will find something.If you don´t know this series of films, you should read about it first. It´s quite explicit, so you might prepare for it. 4. Adéla ještě nevečeřela/Ádela Has Not Had Her Supper Yet Czech film, a period detective sci-fi comedy. We made a lot of them, it was hard to film something contemporary (and even harder to make it any good) during socialism.   The influence of Edwardian era on lolita shouldn´t be underplayed, which is why I recommend Downton Abbey, but this feels closer to me. Adéla is a very funny detective comedy with great stylization, which makes it cool to watch even if you don´t enjoy the costumes.  Fun fact: Robert Redford was supposed to play main character.

Honorable mention goes to Titanic. 5. Amadeus I heard it´s one of the best films around? Well, it´s not my favourite, even if I adore Miloš Forman, but it´s gorgeous. From costumes, to pre-revolution Prague (don´t let them fool you, Vienna wouldn´t be so fabulour in 1988). Since it´s about the one and only Mozart, a lot of scenes are in opera, which is fabulous. And the mascarade scene? Roccoco i sone of my favourite eras, and it´s depicted beautifully here. Dear god. Theodore Pištěk won Academy Award for this and it´s easy to see why.

[cleverhottubmiracle]

You may recognize Susan Holmes-McKagan from countless magazine covers and walking the runway as a Victoria’s Secret supermodel or posing side-by-side with her husband, Guns N’ Roses bassist Duff McKagan. But Holmes-McKagan has made a splash in waters aside from the modeling world. She’s a bestselling author of her novel, The Velvet Rose, the founder of the Susan Holmes Swimwear line and a mother to two daughters who are budding creatives like their parents.  Susan Holmes-McKagan sat down with First For Women to discuss her early days in the modeling industry, exploring different creative avenues and her sweet relationship with her husband.  First For Women:  You began modeling in the 1990s at a young age. Tell me about your early days in the industry.   Susan Holmes-McKagan: I was always intrigued and had a passion for fashion. I was even the president of my sewing club in high school, the worlds of fashion and modeling going hand in hand. I also did local modeling in San Diego in high school, and I just really enjoyed it. I had a lot of fun getting to meet and work with so many wonderful, creative people, and everybody was really just intriguing and talented and interesting. To get in front of the big modeling agents, I did have a well-known photographer approach me. I was in the right place at the right time. It was like a dream come true for me. Susan Holmes (1991)julio donoso / Contributor FFW: The pressures in the industry are difficult to handle at any age, but in your 20s, everything is more extreme. What was it like to break in at such a young age and how did you handle the pressures?  Holmes-McKagan: I always like to say I’m very fortunate because I was never the biggest model, but I’ve had a really steady career…I was in [the industry] in the early 90s, and it was all about modeling and supermodels and glamorous fashion. I loved that era. FFW: How has dealing with the industry and the pressures changed over the years?   Holmes-McKagan: I like to think that it’s better now because it’s more inclusive. I’m working more than ever. I’m over 50 years old and I’ve walked in New York Fashion Week recently…I think we’re in the age of being more inclusive, and that not only includes models of different sizes and shapes and more ethnicities, but also includes all ages. So, it’s pretty awesome, because if you had told me in my early 20s that I’d still be doing this to the capacity that I’m able to, I probably wouldn’t have believed you. FFW: Do you have a favorite memory from your time modeling? Holmes-McKagan: One of the standouts was my 21st birthday. I got to celebrate with my friends in New York City and they surprised me with a birthday cake. And it was while I was shooting the Dolce & Gabbana campaign. It was my friends from then—Meghan Douglas, Kate Moss, Nadja Auermann, Angelika Kallio and Tyra Banks. So, it was extremely memorable to say the least. And it was with Steven Meisel, who’s the world’s best photographer. I love him and his work and his legacy, so I’ll always cherish those memories. Susan Holmes-McKaganCourtesy of Susan Holmes-McKagan FFW: You’re a bestselling author for your book The Velvet Rose — have you always been interested in writing? Holmes-McKagan: Initially I was approached by a publisher who said, “Oh, you should do a book. I know you have one in you.” She had helped my husband do his New York Times bestselling book. So, I started to put my thoughts into motion and that led to my starting to write for the Huffington Post and other magazines. Then I just slowly started to commence tackling my first novel. You have an idea, you build strong characters and develop an outline and a storyline. And did it just come out like that? Poof? No, it took nine years. It was a huge challenge and I’m really proud of it. I am actually going to be having the paperback version finally come out because COVID hit during the initial launch while I was on a nice strong book tour, so we never got to do the paperback release.  FFW: Are you interested in writing another book? Holmes-McKagan: I went back to school at Harvard and took a graduate-level class where I studied feature writing, and that really helped sharpen my writing skills, and I have kind of gone back to the drawing board and learned a different dynamic style of writing. I haven’t been writing as much, but I have been approached about writing another book. When I give my all to something, I have to give it a hundred percent or I don’t want to do it. But I also have been approached lately by some producers about the possibility of my book turning into a series or a movie. That would be a dream, obviously. It’s kind of in the tone of Almost Famous or Daisy Jones & The Six, but set in the early nineties. It’s got some rock and roll, it’s got some fashion, drama, intrigue, scandal.  Grace McKagan, Susan Holmes McKagan, Duff McKagan and Mae McKagan (2024)Michael Tullberg / Contributor FFW: You have two daughters who are also both involved in creative fields — one is in music and one is a designer — what advice did you have for your girls as they decided their career paths? Holmes-McKagan: I always try to be a big supporter of whatever they choose. They’re really ambitious, smart, humble, creative girls. But 2025 is different than when I was coming up or my husband was coming up in the entertainment world. My oldest daughter’s a singer and has been touring since she was 16 and she’s now 27. And my youngest one just graduated from Parsons The New School in New York. They both model and both are creatives. But I guess because I come from a background where both my parents are educators, you can do both. I just really wanted them to both get a good education. I think it brings forth a more interesting person and story. Duff McKagan and Susan Homes-McKagan (2003)L. Cohen / Contributor FFW: Share a bit about your relationship with your husband. How did you meet and how did you know he was the one? Holmes-McKagan: We met through a mutual friend who is also a journalist, and he worked for the Thrasher. So, long story short, we kind of met on a blind date. He connected us and we actually met over the phone. And then when we did meet, we’ve been inseparable ever since. It was just like lightning struck and we just had wonderful chemistry. He has a great sense of humor and we also met at the right time. We’ve lived our lives so fast, sort of like a rock and roll musician, too. Traveling all the time, in hotels, on airplanes. So, we had a lot of parallels, models and musicians. I guess that’s why a lot of models and musicians gravitate to one another for some reason. But he’s a great guy. I’m very lucky. He’s super sweet.  Susan Holmes-McKagan and Duff McKagan (2022)Ilya S. Savenok / Stringer FFW: You were already in the limelight prior to your marriage, but stepping into the rock and roll scene is a whole different ball game. What was it like navigating the craziness of your husband’s career early on in your relationship?  Holmes-McKagan: As I mentioned a little bit before, there’s a lot of parallels in the modeling world and the music world. You’re traveling and working continuously and seeing different places and people, and I was so used to that and that felt like home to me… it was quite seamless FFW: Are there any exciting upcoming projects that you’d like to share with our readers? Holmes-McKagan: I feel like I always have a lot of hats in the air. Upcoming, I have The Velvet Rose paperback;I  don’t have the exact release date yet. I’ve been doing a lot of interior design projects as well. I’m kind of revamping the home here in Los Angeles and it’s just a nice creative outlet for me. I’ll be having some shoots here at home and, of course, ramping up for the big Guns N’ Roses tour. Source link

[therafanatics]

RAFAEL CASAL - BLINDSPOTTING / NEW YORK PREMIERE (2018)

NEW YORK, NY - JULY 16: Rafael Casal attends the screening of "Blindspotting" hosted by Lionsgate at Angelika Film Center on July 16, 2018 in New York City.

Pics by: Dimitrios Kambouris

[katiethebookworm]

Spooky Season Reads for 2023

Hello my lovelies,

Today I have some reading recommendations for ✨Spooky Season✨

The Silence in her eyes

Girl on the Run

King of Dead Things

Don't You Dare

Frankenstein

The Haunting of Hill House

White Is for Witching

The Shining

Mexican Gothic

Coraline

Tiny Nightmares: Very Short Stories of Horror

Fledgling

The Weight of Blood

Interview with the Vampire

Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark

Hallowe'en Party

The Good House

Payback's a Witch

Dracula

There's Someone Inside Your House

The Hunger

Clown in a Cornfield

Cemetery Boys

Practical Magic

The Kiss Curse

Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Annotated

Carrie

Wicked

The Witches of New York

The House on Foster Hill

Motherthing

Angelika Frankenstein Makes Her Match: A Novel

The Hacienda

Pet Sematary

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

The Turn of the Screw

Rebecca

Her Body and Other Parties

How to Sell a Haunted House

Dark Harvest

Haunted

Something Wicked This Way Comes

The Halloween Tree

Rebecca: Introduction by Lucy Hughes-Hallett

The Year of the Witching

Other Terrors: An Inclusive Anthology

The Picture of Dorian Gray

The ​Graveyard Book

Ghostland: An American History in Haunted Places

Bunny

When Things Get Dark

Haunted: Tales of the Grotesque

Aura

and Broken Summer: A Novel

[ilikethisacompletelynormalamount]

NYC friends, there will be TWO early screenings of All of Us Strangers followed by Q&As with ANDREW SCOTT, Thursday December 14, and Sunday December 17 at the Angelika Film Center.

🎟️Angelika Film Center

18 W. Houston St. New York, NY 10012

[nameless-and-joymaking]

advice for someone from another country visiting new york for the first time for like 2weeks?

ahh honored that you would ask my advice!

General/boring advice: be prepared for Weather (carry a sweatshirt and an umbrella bc the ones they sell on the street are shit, carry a handfan bc the trains aren't always air conditioned), avoid the G and L trains wherever possible, and the 1 train on the weekends, be alert but don't be afraid, pay attention to subway announcements and read the subway maps carefully (ppl will know you're a tourist if you're glued to the map inside the train car but who cares), avoid times square if you can help it, walk fast if you're in midtown everyone will be grateful, dont smile at strangers except old ladies and babies, thank your bus driver. Follow @got2gonyc on insta bc they have a map of public bathrooms that is VITAL (my personal favorite public bathroom in nyc is inside the shops at columbus circle.)

NOW for fun stuff/ Grand List of Recommendations. im going to split this into sections and go into WAY too much depth. im also assuming you're staying in manhattan but going to provide recs throughout the boroughs

Culture

if you have some money to burn, definitely see some theatre. If you like musicals, Kimberly Akimbo has $40 rush tickets (meaning if you show up at the box office right when it opens you can get cheap seats), Parade has $45 rush (if you're going to the city before it closes).

see a film at the Metrograph or Film Forum (metrograph has uncomfy seats tbh but always shows great stuff.) The Angelika is also fine, and Alamo Drafthouse is not NY-specific but it's cool.

go to The Strand! not on a weekend bc it's far too crowded but there are just so. many. books. or go to a community bookstore like Word Up in Washington Heights or Bluestockings downtown (lots of queer and political books)

You gotta do a museum or two. The Museum of the Moving Image in Queens is all about film and if you love movies, it is beyond delightful. You can spend a whole day at the Met just wandering, but if you like an agenda, I really recommend going to the Dutch painting collection in Gallery 964 and checking out my favorite painting I've ever seen up close, as well as the sculpture garden in the American Wing, the Asian Wing, the Islamic Wing, and the Egyptian exhibit (you have to walk through it to get to a bunch of other things anyway). There are some van Goghs there, too, and the costuming exhibit and and and-- ok i'll stop here. The American Museum of Natural History has the ability to make you feel like a kid again if you were into science as a child.

Lots of museums, including El Museo del Barrio, Bronx Museum of Art, and the Museum of Jewish Heritage have days where admission is free. Lot of the galleries in Chelsea are also free every day (including the Gagosian Galleries on West 24th and the Chase Contemporary)

Visit a library! The big one in midtown or a smaller one (Morningside Heights Library by the Columbia campus is nice, I like the Mosholu one in the Bronx as well)

Food

you cannot leave NY without having a good NY bagel. Downtown: Bagel Bob's. Uptown: Pick-A-Bagel. Bronx: Riverdale Bagels (you need a bus to get to this one, or a long walk, but worth it.) Downtown, midtown, and Brooklyn: Russ and Daughter's. any old dollar pizza place is probably great, but if you want to be fancy, go to Luzzo's on the upper east side.

if you eat fish, Astoria Seafood is a MUST. fresh, delicious, no frills, BYOB. easy to get lost on the way there if you don't know Queens, so be careful.

Queens in general is a great place to eat. Most diverse urban community in the world! Mama's Empanadas (right by the Museum of the Moving Image, on Steinway Street) is a strong recommendation there, as well. Hot pot, bubble tea, Greek food, and momos are, as a general rule, very good in Queens.

if you want relatively affordable sushi and sake, Marumi is my go-to in Manhattan.

if you want a bougie brunch or dinner, go to Lido in Harlem. Any Jamaican place in Harlem or buffet-style southern food is likely to be good if you want to be adventurous and just pick one. Pies n Thighs in Brooklyn is also good southern-inspired food if you eat meat.

Tasty Handpulled Noodles in Chinatown (there's one on Doyers and one on 9th ave) is some of the best Chinese food. Chinatown Ice Cream Factory is upsettingly expensive but very delicious.

If you like to cook, go to Kalustyan's in Little India and get yourself some spices. They have more kinds of pepper there than you've ever seen in your life.

there is a sandwich shop in the Bronx i will ONLY tell you about via dm bc i won't have my secret faves revealed in a public forum.

lmk if you want Fancy-fancy recs for food, I can make a whole other post.

Green Spaces/Nature

Wave Hill up in Riverdale is beyond beautiful, and free on Thursdays. A bit of a trek from any trains, buses involved etc, but worth it!!

If you're going with friends or peers, a picnic in Central Park (North Meadow by the 103rd st/CPW entrance is a good spot, also Sheep Meadow or the Great Lawn) or just a walk through the park can be amazing. A little touristy, but who's counting.

The Coney Island Aquarium (whether or not you also go to the amusement park) is really nice. Very far from Manhattan, but easy to find (lots of crowds lots of signs)

I don't know Prospect Park in Brooklyn super well, other than the area right by Ample Hills Creamery-- great ice cream, by the way-- but it's pretty and really huge. On that note, also try The Social in Brooklyn for ice cream and DEFINITELY eat an icee from a cart. Churros from a cart in the subway in particular also always hit.

It is tenuous to call this nature but the Union Square Farmer's Market pops up every Saturday and you can buy really good produce/honey/flowers/booze (also, incidentally, right by a good ice cream place, Van Leeuwen's) ((also incidentally, I'm at the market pretty much every Saturday. idk if meeting a tumblr friend is on your want list but yeah.))

[icc133]

Angelika Chapman – 2023 New York Pro

[newsper]

A man has accused Bill Murray of assault following an incident at a movie theater in New York. The alleged altercation took place during a screening of Murray’s latest film, “Being Mortal,” at the Angelika Film Center in Manhattan. This incident has sparked discussions about celebrity accountability and the behavior of public figures in social […]

[b-skarsgard]

Bill Skarsgård at the premiere of "The Crow" held at The Village East by Angelika on August 20, 2024 in New York City.

[gotankgo]

Sling Blade (1996)

Carnegie Hall Cinemas/1st & 62nd St/Angelika

New York City

[norajworld]

You may recognize Susan Holmes-McKagan from countless magazine covers and walking the runway as a Victoria’s Secret supermodel or posing side-by-side with her husband, Guns N’ Roses bassist Duff McKagan. But Holmes-McKagan has made a splash in waters aside from the modeling world. She’s a bestselling author of her novel, The Velvet Rose, the founder of the Susan Holmes Swimwear line and a mother to two daughters who are budding creatives like their parents.  Susan Holmes-McKagan sat down with First For Women to discuss her early days in the modeling industry, exploring different creative avenues and her sweet relationship with her husband.  First For Women:  You began modeling in the 1990s at a young age. Tell me about your early days in the industry.   Susan Holmes-McKagan: I was always intrigued and had a passion for fashion. I was even the president of my sewing club in high school, the worlds of fashion and modeling going hand in hand. I also did local modeling in San Diego in high school, and I just really enjoyed it. I had a lot of fun getting to meet and work with so many wonderful, creative people, and everybody was really just intriguing and talented and interesting. To get in front of the big modeling agents, I did have a well-known photographer approach me. I was in the right place at the right time. It was like a dream come true for me. Susan Holmes (1991)julio donoso / Contributor FFW: The pressures in the industry are difficult to handle at any age, but in your 20s, everything is more extreme. What was it like to break in at such a young age and how did you handle the pressures?  Holmes-McKagan: I always like to say I’m very fortunate because I was never the biggest model, but I’ve had a really steady career…I was in [the industry] in the early 90s, and it was all about modeling and supermodels and glamorous fashion. I loved that era. FFW: How has dealing with the industry and the pressures changed over the years?   Holmes-McKagan: I like to think that it’s better now because it’s more inclusive. I’m working more than ever. I’m over 50 years old and I’ve walked in New York Fashion Week recently…I think we’re in the age of being more inclusive, and that not only includes models of different sizes and shapes and more ethnicities, but also includes all ages. So, it’s pretty awesome, because if you had told me in my early 20s that I’d still be doing this to the capacity that I’m able to, I probably wouldn’t have believed you. FFW: Do you have a favorite memory from your time modeling? Holmes-McKagan: One of the standouts was my 21st birthday. I got to celebrate with my friends in New York City and they surprised me with a birthday cake. And it was while I was shooting the Dolce & Gabbana campaign. It was my friends from then—Meghan Douglas, Kate Moss, Nadja Auermann, Angelika Kallio and Tyra Banks. So, it was extremely memorable to say the least. And it was with Steven Meisel, who’s the world’s best photographer. I love him and his work and his legacy, so I’ll always cherish those memories. Susan Holmes-McKaganCourtesy of Susan Holmes-McKagan FFW: You’re a bestselling author for your book The Velvet Rose — have you always been interested in writing? Holmes-McKagan: Initially I was approached by a publisher who said, “Oh, you should do a book. I know you have one in you.” She had helped my husband do his New York Times bestselling book. So, I started to put my thoughts into motion and that led to my starting to write for the Huffington Post and other magazines. Then I just slowly started to commence tackling my first novel. You have an idea, you build strong characters and develop an outline and a storyline. And did it just come out like that? Poof? No, it took nine years. It was a huge challenge and I’m really proud of it. I am actually going to be having the paperback version finally come out because COVID hit during the initial launch while I was on a nice strong book tour, so we never got to do the paperback release.  FFW: Are you interested in writing another book? Holmes-McKagan: I went back to school at Harvard and took a graduate-level class where I studied feature writing, and that really helped sharpen my writing skills, and I have kind of gone back to the drawing board and learned a different dynamic style of writing. I haven’t been writing as much, but I have been approached about writing another book. When I give my all to something, I have to give it a hundred percent or I don’t want to do it. But I also have been approached lately by some producers about the possibility of my book turning into a series or a movie. That would be a dream, obviously. It’s kind of in the tone of Almost Famous or Daisy Jones & The Six, but set in the early nineties. It’s got some rock and roll, it’s got some fashion, drama, intrigue, scandal.  Grace McKagan, Susan Holmes McKagan, Duff McKagan and Mae McKagan (2024)Michael Tullberg / Contributor FFW: You have two daughters who are also both involved in creative fields — one is in music and one is a designer — what advice did you have for your girls as they decided their career paths? Holmes-McKagan: I always try to be a big supporter of whatever they choose. They’re really ambitious, smart, humble, creative girls. But 2025 is different than when I was coming up or my husband was coming up in the entertainment world. My oldest daughter’s a singer and has been touring since she was 16 and she’s now 27. And my youngest one just graduated from Parsons The New School in New York. They both model and both are creatives. But I guess because I come from a background where both my parents are educators, you can do both. I just really wanted them to both get a good education. I think it brings forth a more interesting person and story. Duff McKagan and Susan Homes-McKagan (2003)L. Cohen / Contributor FFW: Share a bit about your relationship with your husband. How did you meet and how did you know he was the one? Holmes-McKagan: We met through a mutual friend who is also a journalist, and he worked for the Thrasher. So, long story short, we kind of met on a blind date. He connected us and we actually met over the phone. And then when we did meet, we’ve been inseparable ever since. It was just like lightning struck and we just had wonderful chemistry. He has a great sense of humor and we also met at the right time. We’ve lived our lives so fast, sort of like a rock and roll musician, too. Traveling all the time, in hotels, on airplanes. So, we had a lot of parallels, models and musicians. I guess that’s why a lot of models and musicians gravitate to one another for some reason. But he’s a great guy. I’m very lucky. He’s super sweet.  Susan Holmes-McKagan and Duff McKagan (2022)Ilya S. Savenok / Stringer FFW: You were already in the limelight prior to your marriage, but stepping into the rock and roll scene is a whole different ball game. What was it like navigating the craziness of your husband’s career early on in your relationship?  Holmes-McKagan: As I mentioned a little bit before, there’s a lot of parallels in the modeling world and the music world. You’re traveling and working continuously and seeing different places and people, and I was so used to that and that felt like home to me… it was quite seamless FFW: Are there any exciting upcoming projects that you’d like to share with our readers? Holmes-McKagan: I feel like I always have a lot of hats in the air. Upcoming, I have The Velvet Rose paperback;I  don’t have the exact release date yet. I’ve been doing a lot of interior design projects as well. I’m kind of revamping the home here in Los Angeles and it’s just a nice creative outlet for me. I’ll be having some shoots here at home and, of course, ramping up for the big Guns N’ Roses tour. Source link