Melania Trump ranks as one of the least visible First Ladies of recent times, often disappearing from public sight for extended periods. However, underestimating this mysterious First Lady and the power she exerts behind closed doors would be a mistake.

Melania has emphasized that her main focus will be on her responsibilities as a wife and mother, alongside fulfilling her First Lady duties. Yet, it’s evident she harbors broader ambitions. Her endeavors, such as a thorough renovation of the White House, controversial modifications to the Rose Garden, and a remarkable $40 million partnership with Amazon, indicate that she has her own plans and perspectives.

While Melania tends to keep her cards close to her chest, her strategy becomes slightly more discernible through the vibrant yet discreet group of advisers she has assembled during her return to the executive estate.

From a scandal-hit Hollywood director and a Jeep-collecting Republican grandee, to an interior designer ‘who came to America on a raft,’ welcome to the Court of Queen Melania.

Hervé Pierre, designer and fashion consultant

Wherever the First Lady travels, the dapper figure of Hervé Pierre will likely be seen close by.

Born and trained in France, Pierre has devoted his life to the First Lady as her dresser, fashion consultant and architect of her second term ‘look’ with its European, and particularly Parisian, influences.

He is one of few advisers with whom Melania is said to relax.

It is 59-year-old Pierre who selects her outfits, often buying them himself on trips to Fifth Avenue. (Snooty fashion houses still refuse to embrace the Trumps so, unlike other First Ladies, Melania must pay for her own clothes.)

Gone are the thigh-skimming numbers – Pierre is said to have dismissed them as ‘snack dresses’ – she used to wear. Those are packed away in storage, a change of approach understood to have been one of the designer’s requirements when they started working together in 2017.

Pierre now dresses the First Lady in tailored looks, notably in standout Dior outfits that project both tradition and power, such as the distinguished double-breasted coat and cape worn for the wreath-laying ceremony in January, or the gray, wool tweed blazer and skirt styled for her husband’s speech at a joint session of Congress in March.

A designer in his own right, Pierre created Melania’s elegant black and white evening gown for the inauguration this year, as well as the striking Jackie Kennedy-inspired outfit at her husband’s first inauguration in 2017.

Described as ‘a gentle wit,’ Pierre has a distinguished pedigree, studying art history at the Sorbonne and working for the likes of Balmain, Oscar De la Renta and Carolina Herrera.

He, too, brings insider know-how, previously designing for first ladies including Hillary Clinton, Laura Bush and Michelle Obama.

Brett Ratner, disgraced Hollywood director

Hollywood director Brett Ratner is the man behind the upcoming Amazon Prime documentary about Melania, who will also serve as an executive producer. The film, which has been described as an ‘unprecedented behind-the-scenes look’ at the First Lady’s life, is currently in production and slated to be released later this year.

Perhaps the most surprising thing about the project is that 56-year-old Ratner got the gig at all. The Melania film will be his first project in nearly a decade after he was accused of sexual misconduct, which he denies.

‘No-one can believe Brett has managed to land the Melania project,’ a producer who has worked with Ratner told the Daily Mail. ‘He’s a good filmmaker, no doubt about it, great even, but he had been effectively cancelled.’

In 2017, Ratner – whose blockbuster hits like the Rush Hour series and X-Men: The Last Stand have grossed $2 billion at the global box office – was accused of sexual misconduct by six women in a Los Angeles Times expose.

Separately, a former assistant at a talent agency accused him of rape, which Ratner again denies. He sued his accuser for defamation and both sides dropped their claims.

‘Now he’s right in the center of the action again. He stays at Mar-a-Lago and is getting unprecedented access. He loves the Trumps,’ said the source.

‘Brett is a survivor, someone who constantly reinvents himself, and so are they to a degree. I can see why Melania would like Brett. He’s funny, great company and knows exactly what he wants when it comes to a movie.’

It is also said that Ratner played a major role in negotiating the staggering $40 million fee she received for the documentary and limited series.

‘Everyone in liberal Hollywood is melting down about it. They can’t believe Melania got $40m,’ the insider continued. ‘Most people would be concerned about the fact Brett was “cancelled” but the Trumps don’t care.

‘In fact, I think him being on the fringes of Hollywood probably appeals to them.’

Tham Kannalikham, White House interior designer

Arguably even more elusive than Melania is interior designer Tham Kannalikham, the decorator-in-chief for the People’s House.

The New York-based designer – whose social media page is private and whose website is practically bare unless you have a password – worked in the White House during Trump’s first term.

Now, the Washington Post reports, she’s back on the job.

‘We are privileged to help create a home while contributing to the history of the White House for a second time,’ Kannalikham told the publication in an email, calling the work ‘humbling and inspiring.’

Improving the look and fabric of the White House were priorities for Melania last time round and are likely to be so again, telling the Post that her priorities immediately following the inauguration were to restore the executive residence to their appearance during Trump’s first term.

Kannalikham, 47, her design team and White House staffers lugged Ronald Reagan’s terracotta rug into the Oval Office and placed armed services flags behind the Resolute Desk.

The Laotian-American Kannalikham immigrated to the US as a child and grew up in Stockton, California. She studied for a few years at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City , though beyond that her professional accomplishments are not well known.

She is, however, on the board of the White House Historical Association and, in 2019, was appointed to the prestigious Committee for the Preservation of the White House.

‘Both Mrs. Trump and I were not born in America, yet we share a profound sense of attachment and responsibility to this country,’ Kannalikham told Hello! Magazine.

‘We felt a deep obligation to give the White House the respect it deserves, understanding our role as stewards of this historic home.’

Marc Beckman, agent and advisor

Senior Fellow in Emerging Technologies at New York University (NYU), Adjunct Professor in Marketing at NYU Stern and CEO of the DMA United advertising agency, Marc Beckman has quite a collection of job titles.

To these he can add ‘agent to Melania Trump,’ a role the 54-year-old has played for some time.

An expert on new media, AI, marketing and more, the long-haired entrepreneur – who once owned the cosmetics firm Defile – is said to have been involved in the financial deals for both the Amazon documentary and Melania’s memoir, published last October.

The Daily Mail previously reported that Beckman also allegedly introduced Melania and Ratner and supposedly organized a meeting for the pair at Mar-a-Lago.

And last fall, Beckman conducted an hour-long conversation with the First Lady on his podcast titled ‘Some Future Day’ – something of a coup given how rarely she speaks in public.

During the interview, Melania said it is ‘tricky’ to ‘trust the government,’ emphasizing that ‘you need to be vigilant.’

Likewise, insiders say that Melania is equally as cautious with her inner circle of confidants.

‘Melania can be warm and funny in private, but she never lets her guard down, never. There is always a sense of professionalism, even when she’s with ‘her’ people,’ a source who worked with the Trumps in both their first and second administrations told the Daily Mail.

‘And the people in Melania’s group never cross the line. When you watch her interact with her close circle it’s fascinating because they are all unfailing polite and deferential.’

Steven Spandle, architect and design expert

Rarely seen without a bow tie, Spandle is a regular presence on the east coast art-party circuit along with his husband, financier Kev Massoyan.

It was Spandle, an avid collector of antiques, who designed the new, classically inspired Tennis Pavilion at the White House commissioned by Melania – the first free-standing addition to the grounds in decades.

Spandle, 42, also designed the architectural renovations inside the residence during the first Trump term of office, another project overseen by the First Lady.

An avowed classicist, Spandle – who was removed from the US Commission of Fine Art when Biden took office in 2021 – has found particular favor in a Republican movement which not only aligns itself with classical design but views it as a touchstone.

Trump’s first term included an executive order intended to promote neoclassical design as an official style for Federal buildings in Washington.

With the president pressing the case for a new ballroom at the White House, Spandle’s views will no doubt continue to be valued.

Regine Mahaux, photographer

Regine Mahaux is Melania’s go-to photographer, and the woman behind the camera for both the First Lady’s official portraits.

Based in Paris, Belgian-born Mahaux is extremely well-connected, having worked with numerous politicians, celebrities and sports stars from around the world. But, like former model Melania, the 57-year-old has a commercial background, having worked with a series of luxury brands including Mercedes, Veuve Clicquot and Dior.

The photographer, who has worked with the Trumps since 2008, is routinely by the side of the First Lady for major events and enjoys what seems to be an easy rapport, as some of the artfully captured, behind-the-scenes pictures posted on social media suggest.

The most recent, taken before Pope Francis’s funeral, shows Melania gazing at a laptop with the photographer and her team as they select the images the First Lady prefers.

It is clear who is in charge, but the studied informality also suggests how much Mahaux is trusted.

One example is Melania’s striking second term portrait, in which she poses in a dark business suit. It made a dramatic impression, yet it was risky at the same time, attracting criticism from the likes of Vogue magazine. 

But the First Lady must have felt in safe hands.

‘She’s a different person than she was eight years ago and has always been true to herself,’ Mahaux told Hello! Magazine.

‘She’s always been hands-on, but she’s more free nowadays to make a statement.’

‘There is something in her – the strong woman – but at the same time, there is the soft power,’ she added. ‘She’s really good at balancing her husband.’

John Rogers, key advisor

John Rogers has been described as ‘consigliere’, or counsellor, to finance house Goldman Sachs, where he is a partner – and he seems to be playing a similar role for the First Lady as her chief advisor.

A leading figure in establishment Republican circles, the 69-year-old ‘power broker,’ as described by CNBC, has worked as Reagan’s assistant and as the Undersecretary of State for Management under George HW Bush before helping the Trumps in their first tenure at the White House.

Melania has now turned to Rogers once again, and it is said that she values his expertise in ceremonial planning and staff recruitment.

Her journey to Washington, which came via Soviet-era Yugoslavia and a career in glamour modelling, puts her as far from Vasser College – alma mater to Jackie Kennedy, a predecessor she admires – as possible.

Despite that, or perhaps because of it, the First Lady is determined to do most things by the book, and Rogers – who is said to be an antique Jeep Waggoneer aficionado – is supremely well qualified to help.

Rogers, who also serves as the chair of the White House Historical Association, was one of the first appointments to her transition team.

Viktor Knavs and Ines Knauss, Melania’s family

‘When it comes down to it, Melania doesn’t really trust anyone but her family,’ a source, who has known the Trumps for years, told the Daily Mail.

‘Melania is closer to her family than anyone else in her life.’

The source revealed Melania suffered a ‘devastating’ blow when her mother, Amalija, died in January last year aged 78, and that Melania ‘adored her mother and talked to her about everything.’

But the First Lady can still turn to her father Viktor Knauvs, 81, and sister Ines Knauss, 57, who uses the ‘Germanized’ version of the family’s Slovenian surname that Melania adopted during her modeling career.

‘Melania and Ines are very close, but you rarely see Ines at any official events,’ the source said.

Ines, was Melania’s maid of honor at her 2005 wedding to Donald, was described by the insider as ‘very sweet but very quiet.’

‘She hates being in the limelight. But behind the scenes she is Melania’s rock. Since their mother died, they have grown even closer, if that is possible,’ the source said.

‘She stays under the radar. Sometimes you will see her having dinner with the family but that’s it. She’s an enigma.’

Ines is believed to live in a Trump-owned apartment on Park Avenue in New York but also has her own suite in the private quarters at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.

Viktor is equally enigmatic.

‘Viktor is a sweet man, but you only ever see him with Melania,’ said a source familiar with Mar-a-Lago.

‘He keeps himself very much to himself. Melania spends most of her time in her private quarters and that’s where Viktor and Ines tend to be.

‘They are private people, very proud of Melania and devoted to her. Viktor is extremely close to his grandson, Barron, and you often see them walking around Mar-a-Lago together – or at least you did before Barron went off to New York University.’

Melania’s parents were almost fixtures at the White House and Mar-a-Lago during Trump’s first administration, so long and frequent were their visits.

It looks as though Victor and Ines will be close at hand this time round as well.