Before Melania Trump, there was Bernarda Marovt. Another famous model from Slovenia who became one of the most photographed faces in the world.
She prefers to be called “Bernie.” And she knows why Melania Trump has captured so much attention on the world stage.
“I think Melania Trump can be the best First Lady. Why? Because she was a model,” Bernie told me in a recent interview at her modeling school in Ljubljana. “The model must be perfect, must be serious, must be professional. And she’s the best.”
Watch the VIDEO here. Then, read on to find out how Bernie Marovt and Melania Trump are inspiring the next generation of top models from Slovenia. And how Bernie’s international success may have paved the way for Melania Trump to rise in the ultra-competitive world of high fashion.
Growing Up in Slovenia
Like Melania Trump, Bernie grew up in a small town on the Sava River in Slovenia. As a child, young Melania began modeling the clothes that were made in the factory where her mom worked.
Visit Sevnica, the childhood hometown of Melania Trump in Slovenia.
But Bernie says she never dreamed of a modeling career while growing up in Ljubno ob Savinji. Like Melania, she was ‘discovered’ on the streets of Ljubljana while attending university. Both women say they only tried modeling to earn extra money during college. Bernie completed her degree in economics. Melania — then known by her maiden name Melania Knavs — left school to pursue international modeling full time.
Bernarda Marovt was crowned Miss Yugoslavia in 1983. But she says Cold War politics made it difficult for a woman from Central Eastern Europe to win Miss World. She was instead named Most Photogenic, which helped launch her modeling career.
Controversial Miss Yugoslavia
Bernie Marovt won the title of Miss Yugoslavia in 1983. From there she moved on to Milan, where her face would be impossible to ignore.
By the time Slovenia became an independent country in 1991, Bernie Marovt had appeared on magazine covers, in swimsuit editions and advertising for top fashion brands. Like all models, she also would learn to deal with the same kind of rejection and criticism that Melania Trump described in her memoir.
“Everybody cannot like you. So you cannot cry. You just have to accept it, that’s it,” Bernie says. “You become a strong woman.”
Both women have also faced controversy over nude photos. Melania defends the artistic merit of her professional modeling work. Bernie, however, says she was never paid to pose without clothing — even when asked to do so by one of the world’s most famous photographers. She says that the photos in question were leaked by someone who wanted to damage her career.
Long before Donald Trump entered politics, Melania’s wedding dress made the cover of Vogue Magazine.
What does Bernie Marovt think of Melania Trump?
Bernie Marovt is gracious when asked to comment on Melania Trump’s modeling career. She points out that Melania’s star in the fashion world was only just beginning to rise when she met and married the future president, Donald Trump.
By contrast, Bernie kept her focus on modeling. She continues to be in demand for photo shoots as luxury brands appeal to sophisticated women at every stage of their lives. She also founded Bernie Models, a school in Milan and Ljubljana that is preparing the next generation of top models.
Slovenia’s Next Top Models
The modeling school has attracted the sponsorship of Grazie, an Italian fashion magazine. Top graduates of Bernie Models benefit from access to influential casting agencies in Milan. Bernie says she can tell right away which students will be successful.
“You see the woman, or maybe young girl or boy, and you say that’s it,” she explains. “Because there is energy, there is this beauty inside and you just have to take it out.”
For all of the students, Bernie promotes modeling as a pathway to self-confidence that will make a difference no matter what they decide to do in their lives. She has started programs for middle-school aged children and for adult women of all ages.
Although their paths have never crossed, Bernie Marovt would someday like to meet the First Lady Melania Trump.
“I think she’s very similar to me because of character,” Bernie says. “She’s Slovenian and proud, too.”
Many thanks to Bernie for being so generous with her time and allowing me to attend the Bernie Models graduation ceremony. Want more stories about fascinating people and places? Sign up to get FREE travel news in my monthly newsletter on Substack. Follow Terry Anzur on X. And please subscribe to the Terry Anzur YouTube channel for more fun videos from Slovenia and the World. Don’t be a stranger!
