First Lady Melania Trump has been fine out of the spotlight, where she was most of her time as first lady in her husband’s first term as president.
Now, Melania 2.0 has been revealed in a spread in Hello! Magazine.
Her son, Barron, is now at university, which leaves her with more time to work on her projects and embrace her role as First Lady.
“She’s always been hands on, but she’s more free nowadays to make a statement,” Trump’s official photographer Regine Mahaux told Hello! “She’s a different person than she was eight years ago and has always been true to herself. This time, it feels like a different energy with new people that the President has surrounded himself with.”
She is now ready to conquer the world.
“She’s always in the right place,” Mahaux added. “She’s always behind her husband. He’s in the light; she doesn’t need the light. She’s a very good number two. It’s always her husband first, and I like that; she has strong family values, to be a good wife and to make sure they’re happy.”
Trump, at 54, heads her Be Best anti-cyber-bullying campaign and works to help children in foster care.
And, according to Hervé Pierre, her stylist and designer, she is not afraid to get her hands dirty.
“[When I had] just started to work for Mrs Trump, I was preparing clothes for a fitting and saw her putting shoes in a suitcase,” he said. “I immediately told her that she couldn’t do that and it was my job to do it, and she answered: ‘I always pack myself so I am sure what is in my luggage.’”
“She will also make a coffee for you, herself. So if you have a vision of a woman surrounded by servants, you are wrong,” he added.
Interior designer Tham Kannalikham called Trump a thoughtful, intelligent woman.
“Mrs Trump has always exuded pride in her beliefs and unwavering confidence when speaking about topics she knows deeply or has thoroughly researched,” Kannalikham said. “As an inquisitive and thoughtful individual, she values listening and learning from others when a subject or history is unfamiliar to her. She understands the power of listening – an often overlooked but critical trait of strong leadership. Some have underestimated her confidence, but it was always present, grounded in her sense of self and purpose.”
She and her husband, 78, recently celebrated their 20th wedding anniversary — and are stronger than ever,
Meanwhile, Melania’s marriage to Donald, 78 – the couple recently celebrated their 20th wedding anniversary – is stronger than ever. “There is something in her – the strong woman – but at the same time, there is the soft power; she’s really good at balancing her husband,” Mahaux said.
“Sometimes I wonder how she could have the courage to keep on going; they’ve gone through so much. She’s committed. She loves him and he loves her,” she added.
Meanwhile, Melania and her son are “a good team”, Regine adds. “Barron is happy and proud and she’s really proud of him. The connection there is very special. I’m so happy about what Barron has become.”
Melania Trump wants to serve the American people.
“Both Mrs Trump and I were not born in America, yet we share a profound sense of attachment and responsibility to this country,” Kannalikham said.