MELANIA TRUMP ISN’T SHY, despite popular belief. The wife of real estate mogul Donald Trump, mother of the couple’s five-year-old son Barron and former supermodel simply knows when to speak up – and when to keep quiet.
“People say I’m shy, I’m not, I just know when it is my place to talk,” Trump said, sitting on an impeccable cream couch in the living room of the apartment she shares with her family, overlooking the lush square of green that is Central Park. “I’m a very private person.”

But it seems this quiet and calculated approach works for the stunning beauty. The Slovenian-born supermodel began modeling at age 16 and has since graced the covers of some of the most renowned publications in the world. She obtained her degree in design and architecture and most recently developed a jewelry line for QVC, “Melania™ Timepieces &Jewelry,” released in April 2010.
The line of affordable, chic jewelry and watches has since sold out. The seventh wave of the collection is slated for release in October.
“Women love what I design, because it is luxury at an affordable price; all the pieces are under $200,” Trump said. “I have always loved fashion, beauty and art and am involved with all aspects of the collection.”
In fact, the inspiration for the collection came from Trump’s own jewelry box, an enviable one at that. The lithe beauty, dressed in all black – leather leggings, black blazer, classic Christian Louboutins and just a hint of gold jewelry, explains the process of designing her QVC line like a proud mother talks of her children. Turns out, she’s familiar with that role, as well.
“I want to offer women the opportunity to be stylish and buy something they can have fun with, but something that they won’t have to worry about money,” she said. “The collection is made of the pieces I designed. They all have a story behind them.”

Trump turned to her travels around the globe during her modeling career, as well as her relatively new role as a mother for two very different sources of inspiration.
“I am a mother and a wife and a business woman,” she said. “I can wear the pieces from my collection when I play with my son or when I drop him off at school or tennis or pick him up or if I go to the office for a business meeting.”

This versatility, paired with the line’s classic style, has undoubtedly lent itself to its unrivaled success.
“The watches are very different than what you see on the market,” she said. “The rings, bracelets, necklaces are very elegant and timeless. They could last for months and years ahead. Women could give them to their daughters.”

As an entrepreneur in her own right, Trump has her own ideas about what makes a successful businesswoman.
“When it’s your passion and you love what you do, you don’t feel it’s work,” she said. “It’s very creative for me; I do it in the time when my son is at school or my husband is in the office.” But this is more than just a hobby for Trump; it’s clear that this line is something that she is truly passionate about, something that is completely and wholly hers.

Another important role Trump has undertaken is that of mother to five-year-old Barron Trump, born in 2006.
“I get up in the morning, get him breakfast, get him ready for school, drop him off at school, then I work on my business,” Trump said. “I pick him up, cook him lunch. It is a full time job, but I enjoy every minute of it. It is unconditional love.”

And Trump wants what every mother wants for her child.
“I just want him to be happy and that is most important,” she said.
In addition to her business pursuits and motherhood, Trump also makes time for philanthropy.
“Not a lot of people are fortunate and it is important to give back,” she said. Among her philanthropic pursuits, Trump was named Honorary Chairwoman for Martha Graham Dance Company, is an active member of the Police Athletic League, an Honorary Chairwoman for The Boys’ Club of New York, and was a Goodwill Ambassador for the American Red Cross for four years. She also rang the NASDAQ closing bell in honor of the Fifth Annual Love Our Children Day and National Child Abuse Prevention Month.
“Once you have a child you can see how sad it is when children are not well,” Trump said. “You want to give them a good future.”

And time for herself is priority, too. When asked what her guilty pleasure was, Trump’s response was a bit surprising.
“There are no guilty pleasures; every woman needs time for herself,” she said. “You need time to charge your batteries or have peace for yourself, even if it’s only 15 minutes. It is very important that once you have a family, you have good balance and you are not nervous or stressed around the children because they can feel that. It is important that you make yourself happy, because no one else will.”

As far as her personal life, we had to ask –what is it really like being married to Donald Trump?
“My life is very normal,” she said. Yet she seems to have an understanding about what it takes to be married to such a successful public figure. “You need to be smart and quick, and independent and intelligent. You need to handle a lot, keep your eyes open and be on your toes,” she said.

With her successful new business venture, her seamless balancing act between wife, mother and entrepreneur and impeccable style to boot, it seems Melania has a firm grasp on just what it takes to be Mrs. Donald Trump.