Melania Trump is now known for chic pantsuits and classic pencil skirts, but almost 30 years ago she rocked something a little sexier – a lingerie-inspired slip dress that has come back into fashion.
It was September 1, 1997 when she joined then-boyfriend Donald Trump at the New York premiere of LA Confidential. For the event, an unrecognizable Melania wore a black velour dress with a sexy lace hem that highlighted her toned legs.
Melania paired her dress with a matching velour blazer jacket, and pointed sandals that wrapped up her legs, and she wore her hair straight and in a middle part for the premiere; LA Confidential follows the corruption of those in power amid the unsolved murder at a downtown Los Angeles coffee shop in the 1950s.
The slip dress matched the mid-90s era of “underwear-as-outerwear,” popularized by designers like Calvin Klein, and the style was a go-to uniform for supermodels like Kate Moss and Naomi Campbell.
It was during this time that Melania was also a working model. Born Melanija Knavs in 1970, she was a model as a teenager and in her 20s, leaving Slovenia for France before being encouraged at age 26 to immigrate to America by Metropolitan Models co-owner Paolo Zampolli.
© Getty ImagesThrough Paolo she met ~Donald Trump , and the pair had an on-and-off relationship. During that time she joined Trump’s model management company, and posed for various nude magazines including French men’s magazine Out, Sports Illustrated, and a 2000 British GQ cover in which Melania was photographed nude on Trump’s plane by acclaimed photographer Ellen von Unworth.
The model turned First Lady has stood by her nude modelling work even as trends have changed, defending her decision as art.
© FilmMagic via Getty ImagesIn 2024, she took to X, writing: “Why do I stand proudly behind my nude modeling work? The more pressing question is: Why has the media chosen to scrutinize my celebration of the human form in a fashion photo shoot? Are we no longer able to appreciate the beauty of the human body? Throughout history, master artists have revered the human shape, evoking profound emotions and admiration.”
“We should honor our bodies and embrace the timeless tradition of using art as a powerful means of self expression,” she said.
© AFP via Getty ImagesMelania and Donald married on January 22, 2005, at the Bethesda-by-the-Sea church in Palm Beach, Florida, and she was by his side when he announced his intention to first run for President of the United States in 2016.
In the last decade, as her public role shifted to that of First Lady, Melania has transformed her style, swapping form-fitting dresses and sheer sparkling fabrics for structured silhouettes and tailored garments from designers such as Chanel, and Dolce & Gabbana.
In her husband’s second administration, she has focused even more on power dressing with a shift toward monochrome looks and structured tailoring, paired with unique, vintage-inspired statement moments.
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