Embroidered dress in cotton and leather, Louis Vuitton ($2,965). King of Prussia Mall, 610-992-0392. Black and white crystal band ring ($59.50), multirow crystal encrusted link bracelet (top; $139.75), and limited edition curb link bracelet (bottom; $139), Melania. Open pavé scroll cuff with engraved sides (middle), Penny Preville ($25,475). Bernie Robbins, The Radnor Hotel, 595 E. Lancaster Ave., St. Davids, 610-971-2446. White dining set, ABC Carpet & Home ($3,999).

ELIZABETH GILLY: I love so many of the pieces in your collection for QVC, particularly because you use metals just as much as jewels. Metals can be so beautiful and luxurious. Tell me a little about the inspiration behind your collection.
MELANIA TRUMP: My collections are all inspired by the three cities I call home: New York, Palm Beach, and Paris. New York is for the businesswoman juggling work and motherhood; Palm Beach is all about sporty elegance and more casual; Paris is very glamorous, with more stones and a celebratory feel. I looked to my life for inspiration: I’m a mom, a wife, and a businesswoman. So everywhere I go—if I drop my son, Barron, off at school, if I play tennis or go to meetings—I ask myself if I could wear one of the pieces that I designed. I always keep in mind the women who are juggling everything, as I do, and what they want to wear.

EG: Your education in architecture and design seems to really come through in the structure of your pieces. There is such consideration for how it sits on the body. Does that play a lot into the initial design process?
MT: I love the proportion of the pieces. Sometimes they are a statement; sometimes they are more elegant. I love to travel and experience architecture in other cities. I traveled all over the world when I was modeling. I lived in Milan, Paris, and London, and I moved to New York in 1996. I think that with design, you are either born with it or you’re not. I’m involved in the design process from A to Z. This is not something where it’s, ‘Here is my name, now do everything for me.’ That’s not my agenda. I sketch my ideas and then meet with my team to tell them what I envision. They create a sample, and I approve everything, so if something isn’t quite right, the designers go back and make adjustments. I started the collection in April 2010, and it’s been a huge success. It’s really exciting to see the pieces come together.