Not completely opposed to cramming, Melania soon discovered that there were other means and methods to succeed in the modern Western World, and as she developed into womanhood and had completed school, she decided to give modeling a go.

Having little luck in her home country, she packed up her belongings and jetted over to America to pursue more leads.

Before long she landed some work - nothing huge, but TV campaigns for companies like Panasonic and participating in modeling shows for local New York lingerie companies helped pay for jam.

While she couldn't seem to break the big names, such as Oscar de la Renta and Givenchy, things started happening when she met hotel and casino magnate, Donald Trump, at a high society fashion event in 1999.

The hefty age difference posed no problem for the enraptured couple, and before long Melania's profile was on the rise again, shooting a pictorial spread for Allure magazine.

When the couple decided to be interviewed by US 'shock jock' Howard Stern, interest in Knauss exploded, mainly from the male side of the population as both she and Trump divulged that their private times together could be described as 'naughty'.

Right away, the lads magazines, such as British GQ and FHM, signed up Melania to shoot titillating pictorials. From here on in, the Slovenian model would be ensconced in the well heeled New York social scene, attending all the coolest parties, movie and television events and top notch restaurants.

Donald Trump has been quoted saying "When we walk into a restaurant, I watch grown men weep," in reference to Melania's beauty. Being a true gentleman, he is of course talking about her beautiful personality. Right?

Having moved in with Donald in his bazillion-dollar penthouse in the Trump Tower in 2003, Melania has since completed plenty of advertising campaigns for many haute couture consumables and has even judged the Miss USA Pageant (also owned by Trump).

by Sara Templeton