See how Melania Trump’s style has evolved through the years — the changes might surprise you.

Melania Trump’s path from a small Slovenian town to international fame began with dreams too big for Sevnica. A chance encounter with a photographer launched her modeling career, but years later she would step into an entirely different role in the public eye.

Born Melanija Knavs in 1970, she grew up in Sevnica, Yugoslavia. Her childhood was modest—living in an apartment block, attending local schools, and being raised by her car-dealer father and fashion-designer mother.

Known as quiet and well-mannered, Melania excelled in school and showed early interest in fashion. She often altered clothes and dreamed of becoming a designer, expressing a desire to someday leave her small hometown behind.

At 16, she was discovered by photographer Stane Jerko in Ljubljana. Though shy at first, Melania quickly embraced modeling, bringing her own outfits to shoots and gaining confidence with each session.

After high school, she modeled across Europe, building a strong portfolio. Fluent in multiple languages, she moved to New York in 1996 and continued her career under the name Melania Knauss.

In 1998, she met Donald Trump at a party and they began dating. They married in 2005 and welcomed their son Barron the following year. Melania gradually stepped away from modeling to focus on family and public life.

During Trump’s 2016 campaign, Melania gained more visibility, though she remained reserved. Despite her fame, she preferred privacy and focused on raising her son, showing that her calm, disciplined nature endured even as her life changed dramatically.