“An intriguing exploration of image, power and identity, M (Woman of Fashion) questions whether we can ever truly know the woman behind the carefully constructed public persona.”
Melania Trump remains a true enigma, with the journey of the former Yugoslav fashion model turned two-time FLOTUS becoming one of the most surprising political stories in living memory. Known for her iconic looks, bold creative choices (hello, blood red Christmas trees) and famously steely gaze, does anyone truly know the woman behind the carefully constructed image? Eoin Carney’s M (Woman of Fashion) explores the journey of the First Lady while posing a bigger question: why are we so fascinated by Melania Trump, and should we even care to know more?
Slovenian actress Ema Kravanja portrays Melania from her teenage years in Yugoslavia, where she dreamed of becoming well known, through her early modelling career in Central Europe, her meeting with Donald Trump and her eventual role as a two-time First Lady. However, this is not a traditional biographical account. Instead, Carney uses key moments from Melania’s life to explore why society remains so fascinated by her.
With Kravanja as the sole performer on stage, the actress embodies the public persona of the First Lady with conviction. Whilst her performance does not attempt to be a carbon copy of Melania, she captures the physicality and carefully maintained distance of this enigmatic figure. Interestingly, M (Woman of Fashion) captures Melania’s quiet ambition, exploring the idea that she always believed she was destined for widespread recognition.
Carney centres on the idea that Melania uses silence and restraint as tools to climb the ladder of success. By withholding her thoughts, whilst using her charm and poise to influence powerful men and maintain control of situations, she projects a quietly defiant self-confidence. Drawing on Melania’s modelling career, Carney suggests that on the catwalk the model becomes the focus, whilst the designer fades into the background, with all eyes fixed on the person wearing the clothes. The production proposes that this same measured and carefully controlled approach has shaped Melania’s role in the political world.
A fourth-wall-breaking approach sees Kravanja introduce herself before depicting Melania’s second and current stint as FLOTUS, with the performer questioning why audiences should care about the former First Lady. She suggests that Melania herself does not care about the audience, whilst comparing her temporary position of influence to the eventual disappearance of Yugoslavia from the world stage. Whilst the idea raises interesting questions about celebrity, legacy and public fascination, the decision to step away from the character creates distance from the central performance – perhaps intentionally.
Visuals projected onto the back curtain help bring the globetrotting locations of M (Woman of Fashion) to life. A depiction of Yugoslav dictator Josip Broz Tito’s funeral, accompanied by grandiose Soviet-era music, establishes the backdrop of Melania’s childhood, whilst images of the Arc de Triomphe and pulsating electronic dance music capture the glamour and energy of the Parisian fashion scene. Although musical cues continue during Kravanja’s costume changes, it would have been welcome to have some visuals during the several costume changes.
M (Woman of Fashion) does not attempt to reveal the “real” Melania Trump, but instead examines the fascination surrounding a woman who has built her public identity around control, silence and carefully chosen appearances. Through a compelling solo performance and an intelligent exploration of identity, power and perception, Eoin Carney’s production offers an intriguing portrait of a figure who remains both highly visible and deeply unknowable.
M (Woman of Fashion) runs from 5–30 August 2026 at 17:30 – C ARTS | C venues | C aurora. Tickets available here.
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