Melania Trump is probably one of the most famous names worldwide — she’s a model, a First Lady, and the spouse of business mogul and former president Donald Trump.
However, when it comes to her personal life, she keeps things very private.
Unlike many celebrities, Melania often prefers privacy over the spotlight.
This low-key lifestyle also applies to her son Barron — and interestingly, to her older sister, Ines Knauss. While Melania has been in the public eye for many years, Ines has stayed mostly out of sight — yet she might be the person closest to Melania.
What many don’t know is how strong the bond between the sisters really is.
Humble beginnings and a fashionable start
Melania and Ines were both born in Novo Mesto, Slovenia, and grew up in the small railway town of Sevnica. Their father, Viktor, was a car mechanic and chauffeur, while their mother, Amalija, worked as a pattern-maker in a clothing factory.
“I had a beautiful family and a great childhood,” Melania once shared. “My parents instilled in us the value of education, hard work, and family.”
Their parents worked diligently but still found time to provide their daughters with a broad education. They took the girls on trips to France, Italy, and Germany — and even now, the family still has a home in Slovenia that they visit a few times each year.
Fashion had always been a part of the background. Amalija frequently designed and stitched clothes for her daughters, ensuring they looked well put together from a young age. As Melania matured, she even began creating some of her own outfits.
“She was very beautiful,” mentioned Tomšič, a local hospital administrator in Sevnica. “She always dressed elegantly.” (Melania contributed $25,000 to the hospital after her marriage to Donald Trump.)
The model and the designer
At the age of 16, Melania was noticed by fashion photographer Stane Jerko. He found her unexpectedly after a fashion show in Ljubljana.
“By the staircase at the entrance, I spotted this girl,” Jerko remembered. “She was tall, slender, with long hair. I introduced myself, explained what I did, and told her I wanted to photograph her.”
In 1992, Ines Knauss started her studies at the Academy of Fine Arts at Edward Kardelj University in Ljubljana.
During this period, Melania credits her sister for providing her with a transformative piece of advice.
“Ines… informed me about a Slovenian modeling contest called the ‘Look of the Year,’ organized by Jana magazine. The winner would receive a contract with the Metropolitan Model Agency, a well-regarded agency based in Paris.
‘Ines urged me to submit my photos. ‘No one looks like you,’ she said.
A year later, Melania decided to leave the University of Ljubljana to focus on modeling full-time. She joined a modeling agency in Milan and quickly started to establish her career — without any of the party-girl drama that often comes with that lifestyle.
“She kept to herself, she was a loner,” Jerko mentioned. “After a shoot or a runway show, she would go home instead of going out. She didn’t want to waste her time partying.”
Ines wasn’t far behind. While Melania was in front of the camera, Ines was working behind the scenes, trying to make her way into the fashion industry as a designer.
“She really wanted to be in fashion but didn’t know how to get in,” said Paris-based photographer Ale de Basseville. “Ines wasn’t like the other girls you’d meet there, who act like queens. She was really polite and very chill.”
From Milan to Manhattan
When Melania met Italian businessman Paolo Zampolli, he offered to assist her in obtaining a U.S. work visa. Naturally, Ines joined her on the trip to New York.
It was 1998 when everything changed. During Fashion Week, Melania went to a Kit Kat Club event. Zampolli introduced her to his friend — real estate mogul Donald Trump. However, Melania was not impressed by his flashy entrance.
He was with a date at that moment and asked for Melania’s number, but she turned him down.
“Melania said, ‘He’s here with a woman. I am absolutely not giving him my number,’” friend Edit Molnar told the New York Post. “She wouldn’t even think about it. Donald did all the work.
Melania confirmed that story to Tatler herself. “He wanted my number,” she stated. “But he was on a date, so naturally, I didn’t give it to him. I told him, ‘I’m not giving you my number; you give me yours, and I’ll call you.’ If I give him my number, I’m just another woman he calls.
The strategy worked — and the rest is history.
Melania’s Quiet Role
Throughout the years, Melania has been very protective of her privacy. However, one name that remains close to her is Ines.
As reported by People, Ines was Melania’s maid of honor during her wedding to Donald Trump. The two sisters are very close, even though Ines prefers to stay out of the spotlight and has led a very private life.
She is said to live just four blocks away from Melania’s penthouse in Trump Tower, in a building owned by Trump that used to be home to Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner. Despite her low-profile life, she is never far from her sister.
Audrey Gruss, a philanthropist from Palm Beach who met Ines at a Mar-a-Lago fundraiser in 2005, described her as “a lovely person, and extremely creative.”
In fact, Melania has sometimes shared her sister’s artwork online. Ines seems to be an illustrator — and someone Melania has relied on during the most important times in her life.
When Melania gave birth
When Melania welcomed Barron into the world, she didn’t rely on her staff as much — it was Ines she turned to.
“Melania had all the professional help she needed at that point,” said Milan-based fashion designer Luisa Beccaria. “But it was her sister she trusted.”
Even though she stays out of the spotlight, Ines Knauss has been a steady support for one of the most photographed women in the world.
She might not go to state dinners or speak at rallies, but her influence is undeniable — as Melania’s closest confidante, her creative partner, and her lifelong friend.
Their relationship shows that behind every public figure lies a private narrative — and often, a sister who has been there from the start.
