Melania Trump / born Melanija Knavs in Slovenija, began modeling at age 16, when she posed
for a Slovenian fashion magazine.
At 18, she signed with a modeling agency in
Milan, Italy. She was named runner-up in the 1992 Slovenian Jana Magazine
"Look of the Year" contest, held in Ljubljana, which promised its top
three contestants an international modeling contract.
After attending the University of Ljubljana for
one year, she modeled for fashion houses in Milan and Paris. She then relocated
to New York City in 1996.