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Where and when did Melania Knauss model for Donald Trump before they married?
Executive summary
Melania Knauss (later Melania Trump) worked as a fashion model in Europe — notably Milan and Paris — beginning in her late teens, then moved to New York in the mid‑1990s and continued modeling there [1] [2] [3]. She met Donald Trump at a New York fashion‑industry party in 1998 after relocating to New York in 1996; they married on January 22, 2005, in Palm Beach, Florida [3] [1] [4].
1. Early modeling in Slovenia, Milan and Paris — where she built a resume
Melania (born Melanija Knavs) began modeling as a teenager in Slovenia, was discovered at about 16, and signed with agencies that took her to major European fashion centers: she worked in Milan and Paris in the early 1990s under the professional name Melania Knauss [2] [1] [3]. Biography.com and Britannica both describe this trajectory from Ljubljana/Slovenia to Milan and Paris, where she appeared in magazines, ads and runway work that established her as an international model [5] [1].
2. Move to New York in the 1990s — the U.S. chapter of her modeling career
Melania moved to New York in 1996 and continued modeling in Manhattan; several profiles note she sought work in New York’s fashion circuit and was involved in shoots and fashion events there from the late 1990s into the 2000s [3] [2] [1]. Getty Images and photo galleries document her attending major New York fashion shows and industry events through the early 2000s, showing the public face of her U.S. modeling career [6].
3. How and when she met Donald Trump — the 1998 fashion‑party introduction
Multiple accounts say Paolo Zampolli, a Milan‑based modeling agent and friend, introduced Melania to Donald Trump at a New York fashion‑industry party in September 1998 [3] [7]. Time, Reuters and other outlets place the meeting at a New York Fashion Week party (the Kit Kat Club is named in later excerpts of Melania’s memoir) in 1998; after that meeting the couple began dating [8] [9] [10] [7].
4. Trump’s role in her U.S. modeling opportunities — what reporting states
Sources report that, once dating, Trump "worked to get Melania more modeling jobs" and that she became part of his social and public life — appearing at events, fashion shows and on his reality TV circle — though the cited profiles do not offer exhaustive documentation of every assignment he helped secure [3] [9]. Not all sources quantify how many jobs or which specific campaigns resulted from Trump’s assistance; available sources do not mention a complete list of those modeling gigs [3].
5. Timeline to marriage — from introduction to 2005 wedding
After meeting in 1998 and dating in the following years, Melania and Donald Trump married on January 22, 2005, at Bethesda‑by‑the‑Sea in Palm Beach, Florida; the couple then had their son Barron in 2006 [4] [9] [1]. Reporting consistently places the meeting in 1998, her New York move in 1996, and the wedding in January 2005 [8] [2] [4].
6. Disputed or missing details — what sources don’t (yet) say
The provided sources do not give a complete catalog of Melania’s individual modeling assignments before marriage (for example, a definitive list of designers, specific runway seasons or full ad campaigns she did in Paris/Milan/New York); Getty Images and photo galleries offer examples but not a comprehensive ledger [6]. Also, while several pieces note Paolo Zampolli’s role as introducer, the exact circumstances and eyewitness accounts vary slightly across profiles [7] [3].
7. Competing perspectives and implicit agendas to watch
Biographical summaries (Britannica, Biography.com, White House Historical Association) present a straightforward career arc emphasizing modeling credentials and the meeting in 1998; more tabloid‑style outlets (e.g., Mirror) and some promotional materials highlight her ties to Trump’s business orbit and Trump Model Management assignments [1] [5] [11]. Profiles tied to official or sympathetic outlets (White House History) may emphasize public‑service roles post‑marriage, while news photo agencies and lifestyle outlets focus on fashion appearances — readers should note those different editorial agendas when weighing what details are foregrounded [4] [6] [2].
8. Bottom line for the original question
Available reporting consistently states: Melania modeled in Milan and Paris in the early 1990s, moved to New York in 1996, met Donald Trump at a New York Fashion Week party in 1998 (introduced by Paolo Zampolli), and they married on January 22, 2005, in Palm Beach, Florida [1] [2] [7] [4]. Sources do not provide a single exhaustive list of every modeling job she did in each city prior to the marriage [6].