Where did Melania Trump work and what agencies represented her as a model?
Executive summary
Melania Trump began modeling in Slovenia as a teenager after meeting photographer Stane Jerko and went on to work in fashion hubs across Europe and later in the United States; sources say her career included print, TV and runway work and led to assignments in Milan, Paris and New York [1] [2] [3]. Reporting and biographical summaries also note she was signed by agencies in Europe and — after meeting Donald Trump — was briefly associated with Trump Model Management in the late 1990s [2] [4] [5].
1. From Sevnica to the catwalks — how her career started
Melania Knauss (Melanija Knavs) left studies in Ljubljana to pursue modeling after an early break in Slovenia: a chance encounter with photographer Stane Jerko launched her professional work while still a teenager and she began doing commercial and runway work in Eastern Europe before moving west [1] [2]. Encyclopedic biographies repeat that she studied design and paused university to take up modeling, which placed her in European fashion circuits in the 1990s [3] [6].
2. Europe: Milan and Paris were central to her rise
Multiple profiles and magazine retrospectives say Melania worked in Milan and Paris during the 1990s and claimed covers and editorial work in European editions of fashion outlets; those accounts place her in Paris by 1994 and credit modeling houses and scouts [2] [4]. Such summaries describe collaborations with well‑known photographers and appearances in international fashion magazines, although specifics of every client or shoot vary across outlets [2].
3. Agencies and representation — what sources explicitly name
Sources state she was signed by a Milan-based modeling agency at about age 18 and later was a “Trump model” — briefly represented by or associated with Trump Model Management after meeting Donald Trump in the late 1990s — though details and timing differ in tellings [2] [4] [5]. Profiles reference Paolo Zampolli and Metropolitan Models as part of the European-to‑U.S. bridge in some retellings, but the provided corpus gives stronger, repeated attribution to Trump Model Management for her U.S. association [2] [5].
4. Contested points and gaps in reporting
Reporting and retrospectives diverge on certain specifics: some pieces emphasize early European signings and runway work, others foreground the later U.S. affiliation and visa controversies connected to modeling agencies [1] [5]. Available sources do not provide a single, contemporaneous roster listing every agency that represented her worldwide; they instead supply highlights [1] [2] [5]. For exact agency contracts, dates and full client lists, the current reporting is incomplete.
5. Immigration, visas and agency practices — context reporters add
Investigations into modeling‑agency practices in the 1990s and 2000s have spotlighted Trump Model Management and the wider industry for alleged misuse of visas and other irregularities; Mother Jones and related reporting note that former models accused Trump’s agency of employing foreign models under conditions that skirted U.S. work‑visa rules, and those pieces mention Melania as a model who worked in the U.S. in that era [5]. Those allegations are part of a broader critique of industry practices rather than a definitive public legal finding about her personal paperwork in the provided sources [5].
6. What to trust and why sources differ
Biographical encyclopedias (Britannica, White House Historical Association) summarize Melania’s move from design studies to an international modeling career and emphasize Paris/Milan/New York phases [6] [3]. Popular news, tabloids and magazine retrospectives add color — sometimes claiming specific photographers, covers or agency names — but they can vary in detail and tone [2] [4]. Investigative outlets raise structural concerns about agencies’ immigration practices and name Trump Model Management in that context [5]. Where sources disagree, the divergence stems from different reporting aims: biographical overview, celebrity feature, or investigative probe.
7. Bottom line for the original question
Available reporting establishes that Melania Trump began modeling in Slovenia, worked in Milan and Paris, moved to New York and was at least briefly associated with Trump Model Management after meeting Donald Trump; she was represented at various points by European agencies and had placements in print and TV work [1] [2] [3] [5]. For a complete, definitive list of every agency that represented her and contract dates, available sources do not mention a comprehensive roster (not found in current reporting).