Melania Trump Accused of ‘Ripping Off Chanel’ with Memoir Cover Art

Melania Trump is facing backlash over the cover design of her forthcoming memoir, which bears a striking resemblance to another well-known book. The former first lady’s tell-all, titled Melania, features her first name in white text on an all-black background—a design that closely mirrors the 2020 book Chanel Catwalk by French author Patrick Mauriès. The Chanel Catwalk book compiles every collection created by the late fashion icon Karl Lagerfeld, according to a report by The Daily Beast.

“If you love our former first lady as much as me, and are ready for the Truth, buy her new book now!” Trump wrote over the weekend. “MELANIA provides an insightful perspective of her tenure as First Lady of the United States, highlighting our shared experiences, her entrepreneurial achievements, plus the challenges and triumphs she experienced since her childhood in Europe.”

However, many observers were quick to point out the uncanny resemblance between the cover of Melania’s memoir and the Chanel Catwalk book. This instance of apparent imitation brought back memories of past controversies, such as when Melania was accused of plagiarizing large portions of her 2016 Republican National Convention speech from a speech Michelle Obama had given at an earlier Democratic National Convention.

“If you were wondering who Melania’s book was going to copy from, here you go. She’s decided to rip off Chanel,” remarked X user Sarah Glazer. Criticism extended beyond the cover art itself, with some commentators highlighting the absence of Melania’s photo on the cover—an unusual choice for a memoir, especially for someone who had expressed frustration at not being featured on the cover of Vogue during her time as First Lady.

“Imagine that the lady who was furious she didn’t get a Vogue cover as First Lady has a memoir with no photo of her on the cover like in every other memoir in history,” commented journalist Victoria Brownworth. “It’s a low-budget right-wing publisher, but still—couldn’t Trump have sprung for a photo cover for his 3rd wife?”

Adding to the critique, other social media users drew comparisons between the memoir’s promotional graphics and the cover of A Book About Absolutely Nothing, a novelty book infamously filled with blank pages. “Did you ever see the blank book with the title A Book About Absolutely Nothing?” posted the X account Common Sense.

“Did it inspire Melania’s book cover artist? You be the judge. This is the cover of the blank book.” The similarity in cover designs and the subsequent outcry have further fueled the ongoing debate over Melania Trump’s authenticity and originality in her public life and projects.