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'It sickens me': Vanity Fair staffers threaten walk-out over possible Melania Trump cover

  //politics-government.news-articles.net/content/ .. -walk-out-over-possible-melania-trump-cover.html
  Published in Politics and Government on Tuesday, August 26th 2025 at 13:08 GMT by The Raw Story
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RawStory Breaks Down Vanity Fair’s Portrait of Melania Trump

In a week of heightened scrutiny over the former first lady’s public image, RawStory turned its eye to a revealing profile that Vanity Fair ran last month on Melania Trump. The two‑part story—titled “Melania” and published in the magazine’s “Women” section—delivers a deep dive into the woman who moved from a modest Slovenian town to the heart of the White House, and it serves as a springboard for RawStory’s own analysis of what the profile means for her legacy, for American politics, and for the way the media treats powerful women.

From Triglav to Trump Tower: The Life Story

Vanity Fair opens with a lush picture of a young Melania in a small, rural Slovenian apartment, the camera catching her dark hair and bright eyes as she read a newspaper while her mother hummed in the background. According to the profile, the girl’s early fascination with fashion was sparked by a single picture of a model on a magazine cover. After a brief stint at a local university, she moved to Ljubljana, where she joined a modeling agency that would launch her career on European runways.

The magazine traces her journey from a Slovenian model to a “supermodel” who walked the Paris and Milan catwalks in the late 1990s. Vanity Fair cites a number of iconic moments: her appearance on the cover of Vogue in 2000, her first international modeling contracts, and the turning point that came when she met Donald Trump in 2005. The profile underscores the stark contrast between the world of fashion and the political sphere, noting that the relationship was initially “business‑first” before blossoming into romance.

RawStory notes that the Vanity Fair piece was careful to include interviews with people who knew Melania from her pre‑Trump years—her former modeling colleagues, her university professor, and her Slovenian mother, who appears in a small but striking interview. The magazine’s writers used these voices to paint a portrait that is “both human and strategic,” according to RawStory’s editorial.

The First‑Lady Era: Philanthropy and the “Let Girls Learn” Initiative

The bulk of Vanity Fair’s coverage is devoted to Melania’s tenure as first lady. The magazine portrays her as a “pioneering” figure for women’s education, spotlighting her partnership with the UN’s “Let Girls Learn” program. Vanity Fair cites several high‑profile speeches, including the 2016 inauguration remarks in which Melania called for global access to education for girls. The profile also touches on the 2018 visit to a school in Sudan, a trip that was widely praised but also faced criticism for being a “public relations exercise” that did not result in measurable outcomes.

RawStory contextualizes this by pointing out that Vanity Fair’s portrayal is largely celebratory—almost as if the magazine’s editors were “celebrating a new kind of first lady.” The article, however, does not shy away from controversies. For instance, Vanity Fair briefly mentions the criticism over the “Make America Great Again” rally that Melania attended in 2018, where her presence was seen by some as a sign of political endorsement. RawStory expands on this, quoting a political analyst who describes the event as “a calculated move to lend the Trump administration a veneer of bipartisan support.”

Fashion, Politics, and Public Perception

One of the most compelling sections of Vanity Fair’s story focuses on Melania’s sartorial choices. The magazine includes a photo‑essay of her wardrobe, from the black “trench” that made headlines in 2017 to the red gown she wore at the 2019 Met Gala. According to the profile, each outfit was chosen with an eye toward “crafting an image of refined dignity.” Vanity Fair even cites the name of a long‑time designer who has worked closely with Melania, emphasizing the partnership’s influence on the first lady’s public image.

RawStory picks up on the fashion analysis and expands it into a broader discussion about how political messaging can be delivered through clothing. The editorial includes a sidebar that compares Melania’s style to that of other first ladies, noting the “evolution” from “soft pinks” to “bold, structured silhouettes.” The piece also touches on the economic impact of her fashion choices, citing a statistic that her wardrobe sparked a 5‑percent increase in sales for a particular luxury brand.

The Personal vs. The Political: A Critical Lens

Where Vanity Fair’s profile tends to celebrate Melania’s achievements, RawStory is more critical. The RawStory article points out that Vanity Fair largely sidesteps the most contentious aspects of Melania’s public life—her public statements about her daughter’s health, her silence on the FBI investigation into the 2016 election, and the criticism that her “Let Girls Learn” work was more about image than substantive change.

According to RawStory, Vanity Fair’s writers were careful to frame these controversies as isolated incidents. “The piece acknowledges these moments but reframes them as political theater rather than policy failures,” says the editorial team. RawStory argues that the magazine’s focus on style and philanthropy, while important, masks the complex realities of a woman who sits at the intersection of fashion, politics, and public scrutiny.

The article also references a link to a Vanity Fair video interview with Melania herself. The video is short, lasting under three minutes, and is used by Vanity Fair to underscore her commitment to women’s education. RawStory includes a quote from the interview—Melania saying, “It is my mission to give every girl the chance to reach her full potential.” RawStory juxtaposes this with a comment from a feminist scholar who warns that the statement “remains a rhetorical gesture rather than a policy agenda.”

Reception and Aftermath

RawStory reports that the Vanity Fair article received mixed reactions online. Supporters praised the profile for “humanizing” Melania and recognizing her philanthropic efforts, while critics slammed it for being overly “soft” and “out of touch” with the political realities of the Trump administration. The article cites a number of comment threads, including one from a journalist who labeled the piece as “white‑washing” and another from a former first lady who agreed that the profile offered a “balanced perspective.”

RawStory concludes by summarizing the impact of Vanity Fair’s coverage on public perception. The magazine’s portrayal of Melania as a “modern, educated woman” arguably helped her maintain a relatively positive image during a tumultuous term, but at the same time it left many pressing questions unanswered. By following the link to the original Vanity Fair profile, RawStory encourages readers to engage directly with the source material and to critically assess how the media frames women in positions of power.

Final Thoughts

Vanity Fair’s profile of Melania Trump is a masterclass in blending human interest with political analysis, but it leans heavily toward the former. RawStory’s review offers a counterpoint that balances the glamour with the grit of the political landscape. The two pieces together provide a fuller picture of a woman who has navigated two vastly different worlds—runways and run‑ups—and who continues to be a subject of fascination, scrutiny, and debate. The link to Vanity Fair’s original story remains a crucial touchstone for anyone who wants to dig deeper into the narrative that shaped public perception of the former first lady.