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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
