What Melania Trump Was Really Like As A Child

Melania Trump's lavish life nowadays is in complete contrast to her upbringing. According to the Associated Press, the future first lady, who was born Melanija Knavs in the small town of Sevnica, Slovenia, resided in an apartment that was built according to Communist architectural standards. The humble abode offered Melania, her older sister, Ines Knavs, and their parents a view of factory chimneys and a river. As People noted, her childhood friend Mirjana Jelancic confirmed that Melania was "an excellent student, very organized, disciplined, with very decent manners." Moreover, it was rare for Melania to swear or be rude to others. 

Meanwhile, other former classmates informed the New York Times that the former model's favorite subjects at school were geography and art. During her art lessons, Melania would use her creativity to the fullest by making bracelets. She would also replace her boring schoolbook covers with glamorous perfume ads. Damian Kracina, the future first lady's high school classmate, also shared that she and Ines were part of a friend group united in their love of pop music. 

In fact, Kracina claimed the Knavs sisters had no interest in interacting with classmates who listened to Metallica or The Cure. Although Melania suffered some of her biggest fashion fails during her second White House era, during her high school days, she was known for her great style. Even Melania's father, Viktor Knavs, dressed formally to stand out among their neighbors. Fashion was an integral part of Melania's close-knit relationship with her mom, Amalija Knavs, too.

As GQ reported, in her youth, future model Melania Trump would often sketch her dream clothes, and her beloved late mother, Amalija Knavs, would then use her experience from working in a children's clothing factory to create them for her. Someone who knew the Knavs family detailed how Melania had a unique sense of style and was never spotted in anything store-brought. The mother-daughter duo undoubtedly shared a love of fashion since neighbors remembered Amalija's clothing decades later as well. 

Most people in their neighborhood were also struck by Melania's stunning transformation in her youth, with one friend recalling, "She was a special kind of beauty, not the classic type." They added, "She had eyes that were kind of psychedelic. You look in those eyes and it was like looking in the eyes of an animal." Meanwhile, another former pal proudly told the Associated Press that the future first lady was ambitious even as a kid, acknowledging, "I think I can say Sevnica was too small for her. Even as a child, she dreamed of moving." And, as GQ pointed out, those dreams started taking shape in 1987, when 15-year-old Melania caught the eye of photographer Stane Jerko. 

Although she initially turned down the opportunity to work with him because she wanted to focus on her schooling, Melania returned shortly afterward and took Jerko up on his offer. And thus began the modeling journey that would eventually lead her to marry Donald Trump. While certain denizens of her small town believe the first lady forgot where she came from during her ride to the top, Melania assured GQ that that wasn't the case, insisting, "I love my childhood. It was a beautiful childhood."