It’s been a year since “Melania” was released. The memoir of Melania Trump provides an intimate look at her life from modeling and motherhood to women’s rights and politics.
Married to President Donald Trump since 2005, the first lady got her start modeling when she was a teenager — and more than 25 years later, she’s still in the public eye.
The 55-year-old former model from Slovenia gave a rare glimpse into her private life, particularly, how she met her future husband and father of her only child, Barron Trump.
Married to billionaire Donald Trump, Melania Trump, then known as Melania Knavs and later Melania Knauss, began her modeling career at age 16 and, while in her 20s, moved to New York in 1996. The couple met in 1998, became engaged in 2004 and married in 2005.
All of this was before Donald Trump became the 45th and 47th president of the United States, before Melania became a mom to Barron Trump (Trump’s youngest child of five), and before Mar-a-Lago, site of the billionaire’s wedding reception, became known as the Southern White House when Trump was in office.
In July 2025, ahead of the six-month anniversary of Donald Trump’s return to the White House, the first lady gave an intimate look in her own words on how she met her future husband, a two-time president of the United States. Her best-selling memoir, “Melania,” was released Oct. 8, 2024. It’s likely been quite a year since the “Melania” memoir made its debut.
Below is an excerpt, in her own words of how she met her future husband.
How did Melania meet Donald Trump?
On social media site X, Melania Trump posted screengrabs on July 18, 2025, of two pages from Chapter 5 − “Hi, I’m Donald Trump” − from her best-selling memoir, “Melania.” The first lady described their meeting in September 1988 at a New York Fashion Week party at the Kit-Kat Club. Below are excerpts:
A friend invited model Melania Knauss to a New York Fashion Week party. Though she had just come back from Paris and preferred staying in, since “a late-night party at the club was not my top choice for a Saturday evening,” Melania accepted the invitation.
She recalled feeling like a celebrity due to the limo ride, the paparazzi and the energy of those involved with New York Fashion Week − editors, photographers, models. Upstairs in the VIP section at the Kit Kat Club, Melania said her friend waved to someone behind her.
“When I turned around, I noticed a man and an attractive blonde woman approaching us.
“Hi, I’m Donald Trump,” the man said when he reached my table. “Nice to meet you.” I recognized the name, and I knew he was a businessman or celebrity, but not much else. He put his hand out to shake mine.
“Hello,” I replied. “I’m Melania.”
“His eyes filled with curiosity and interest, and, seizing the opportunity, he took the seat next to mine and started a conversation. He asked me about my time in New York, my Slovenian home, and my world travels. It was a moment of connection, a brief encounter that left a lasting impression. It was nice to make a new acquaintance.“
In the book, Melania describes how she was “captivated by his charm and easygoing nature” and found herself “drawn to his magnetic energy.”
Not long after that meeting at the Kit Kat Club in New York for New York Fashion Week, Donald Trump started dating the model Melania Knauss. In 2005, the couple married at Episcopal By the Sea Church in Palm Beach, Florida, and celebrated with a wedding reception in the Donald J. Trump Ballroom at his private club, Mar-a-Lago. They welcomed son Barron Trump in 2006.
In 2016, Donald Trump won his first presidential election, and Melania Trump became the First Lady.
Though he lost the 2020 presidential election to former President Joe Biden, Donald Trump regained the White House after the 2024 presidential election.
Once again, Melania Trump is first lady of the U.S. and will be through 2029.
Sangalang is a lead digital producer for USA TODAY Network. Follow her on Twitter or Instagram at @byjensangalang. Support local journalism. Consider subscribing to a Florida newspaper.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: When did Melania meet Donald Trump? About her NY Times bestseller
