Melania Trump - a former model from Slovenia, who became the first lady of the United States. Fashion critics praise her sense of style and her ability to stay in public. Journalists enthusiastically sort out candid photo shoots in which she participated at the peak of her career. And ordinary Americans, judging by a CNN poll, express support for the charming first lady more actively than President Donald Trump himself.
Early biography and career
The future first lady was born on April 26, 1970 in the Slovenian city of Novo Mesto. Her country at that time was part of the Republic of Yugoslavia. In childhood and adolescence, Melania bore the name Knavs. The head of the family, Victor Knavs, worked as a car dealer, and his mother, Amalia, was a designer of children's clothing at a garment factory. Melania grew up with her younger sister Ines. Later, journalists found her older half brother from her father’s previous relationship. His name is Denis Tsigelnyak, a man lives in Slovenia, but he never supported relations with his sisters.
Melania began working as a model at the age of 5, she showed off the clothes of the garment factory where her mother worked. Since 16, she collaborated with the famous Slovenian photographer Stein Jerko, and at the age of 18 she signed a contract with a modeling agency from Milan. Then the girl changed her last name Knavs in the German manner, now she was known as Melania Knauss.
After school, she entered the University of Ljubljana, planning to get a designer education. But a year later she dropped out, choosing a modeling career. The young beauty worked in Paris and Milan. In 1992, Melania participated in the contest “View of the Year”, which was conducted by the Slovenian magazine Jana. The girl stopped a step away from victory, winning second place.
In 1995, during a tour of Europe organized to search for new faces, she was noticed by businessman Paolo Dzampolli - co-owner of the Metropolitan Models modeling agency and a good friend of Donald Trump. He invited Melania to work in the USA. In 1996, Knauss came to New York, where she was extremely in demand.
The Slavic beauty worked with famous photographers Patrick Demarchelier and Helmut Newton. She graced the covers of Vanity Fair, Vogue, Harper's Bazaar, Front, GQ, Sports Illustrated magazines.
Marriage to Donald Trump
In 1998, Melania came to a private party in Manhattan, hosted by Paolo Zampolli. There she was noticed by Donald Trump, who recently divorced his second wife Marla Maples. True, the businessman was not alone, but in the company of the young businesswoman Selina Midelfart. But seizing the moment when his companion went to the ladies' room, Trump went to Melania with a request to give his phone number.
Different sources provide several versions of the further development of events. Someone writes that the model herself took the phone from Trump and later called him. Other information resources claim that Knauss refused the businessman his request for a visit for several months. One way or another, Melania and Donald started dating. In 2000, they took a break in relations, and a year later a Slovenian citizen received a green card, which allowed her to stay in the United States.
The resumption of the novel ended in engagement in 2004. The lovers got married January 22, 2005 at a luxurious ceremony in Palm Beach, Florida, where Trump has his own Mar-a-Lago estate. The wedding was attended by 350 guests, including Shaquille O'Neill, Heidi Klum, Barbara Walters, Simon Cowell, Bill and Hillary Clinton.
For the festive day, the bride chose a Dior dress for 200 thousand dollars, decorated with 1, 500 crystals, with a long train and a veil. The outfit was quite uncomfortable, so for the holiday party Melania changed into a dress in the Greek style from Vera Wang. Her engagement ring from the Graff jewelry brand was adorned with a 12 carat diamond. She entrusted the role of the bridesmaid to her younger sister Ines. And the best man of the groom were his sons from his first marriage, Donald Jr. and Eric.
A year after the wedding, March 20, 2006, the couple had a son, Barron, William Trump. The first name was given to the boy by a happy father, and the second was chosen by the mother. In the same year, Melania received American citizenship.
