Melania Trump may be known worldwide as the former First Lady of the United States and the wife of business mogul Donald Trump, but she has always kept her personal life private.
The same goes for her son, Barron, and especially her older sister, Ines Knauss — someone who remains largely out of the public eye despite being one of the closest people to Melania.
Raised in the small Slovenian town of Sevnica, Melania and Ines shared a strong childhood rooted in modest but loving surroundings.
Their father, Viktor, worked as a car mechanic and chauffeur, while their mother, Amalija, was a pattern-maker in a clothing factory. Despite humble beginnings, the family took trips to France, Italy, and Germany, and instilled strong values in their daughters.
“I grew up with a beautiful family and had a wonderful childhood,” Melania once said. “My mother and father taught us the importance of education, hard work, and family.”
A Shared Journey into Fashion
From a young age, both sisters were drawn to fashion. Amalija would spend hours designing and sewing stylish clothes for them, which Melania later began designing herself. “She was always very fancy,” recalled a local hospital manager who knew her from Slovenia.
At age 16, Melania was discovered by photographer Stane Jerko, who noticed her outside a fashion show. That chance encounter sparked her modeling career, eventually leading her to Milan and then to the United States.
Unlike many aspiring models, Melania kept a low profile. “She was a loner,” Jerko noted. “After a shoot or runway, she’d go home instead of partying.” Ines, aspiring to work in fashion design, accompanied her sister on this journey.
A photographer who worked with Melania recalled that Ines was polite and unassuming, quite different from the typical models. “She wanted to be in fashion but didn’t know how to break in,” he said.
The Move to America and Meeting Donald Trump
When Melania moved to New York with help from Italian businessman Paolo Zampolli, Ines went too. It was at a Kit Kat Club event during Fashion Week in 1998 that Melania met Donald Trump. He was with a date that night but was immediately taken by Melania. When he asked for her number, she refused.
“Melania said, ‘He’s here with a woman. I’m absolutely not giving him my number,’” a friend recalled. Melania confirmed this in an interview, saying, “If I give him my number, I’m just one of the women he calls. I said, ‘Give me yours and I’ll call you.’”
Ines: The Private Sister and Trusted Confidante
Ines has remained fiercely private despite her sister’s fame. She was Melania’s maid of honor at her wedding to Donald Trump and continues to live close to her sister in New York. Reports say Ines resides in a Trump-owned building on the Upper East Side, just blocks from Melania’s penthouse in Trump Tower.
Palm Beach philanthropist Audrey Gruss described Ines as “a lovely person, and extremely creative,” after meeting her at a Mar-a-Lago fundraiser in 2005. Melania has occasionally posted her sister’s artwork online, confirming her creative talents.
The Bond Between Sisters
Fashion designer Luisa Beccaria emphasized the strength of their relationship, saying the two are more like best friends. When Barron Trump was born, it wasn’t staff Melania turned to—it was Ines. “Melania had all the professional help she needed at that point,” Beccaria said, “but it was her sister she trusted.”
Though Melania may be a public figure on the world stage, her bond with Ines has remained steady and loyal, forged in childhood and carried into adulthood, far from the spotlight.