Why Melania Trump’s Book Cover Has a Very Familiar Look

Well, that looks familiar.

Pre-sale purchases for Melania Trump’s memoir commenced Friday and some were quick to point out that its cover art is nearly identical to a popular fashion book that’s been on the market for years.

The 54-year-old former first lady’s tell-all, Melania, bears only her first name in white text, centered over an all-black cover. The design is incredibly simple but doesn’t appear to be an original artistic decision.

That’s because the memoir bears striking similarities to Chanel Catwalk, a 2020 book by the French author Patrick Mauriès. The book’s publisher, Thames & Hudson, advertises it as having compiled every Chanel collection ever created by the late fashion legend Karl Lagerfeld into one place.

Like Melania, the book’s title is in all caps, centered over a black background in white text of a similar font and size. The only apparent differences are that Chanel Catwalk includes two words—stacked atop each other—and includes its publisher’s name in the bottom-left corner.

With millions of books published annually, it seems inevitable many covers will resemble each other. However, Melania’s memoir is under even more intense scrutiny after it appeared that she plagiarized large swaths of her 2016 RNC speech from Michelle Obama’s DNC convention.

Critiques of Melania’s cover art choice poured in this weekend, with many shocked that she opted for something so simplistic that didn’t include a portrait of her.

One critic on X wrote along with a photo of the book, “Wait is this really the cover of Melania Trump’s memoir. Her publisher hates her.” Another commentator noted that the use of white text over a plain black background made Melania resemble the cover of the gag novel, A Book About Absolutely Nothing, which is infamously filled with blank pages aside from a table of contents.

Melania will be available in bookstores, airports, and on digital platforms starting Oct. 1. Those wanting a copy will have to shell out $40 to purchase it on Melania’s website, or get it $10 cheaper by ordering on Amazon.

A signed copy of the memoir costs $75 and a signed collector’s edition, featuring a hardcover book that has its text and background colors inverted, costs $150.

“Melania is the powerful and inspiring story of a woman who has defined personal excellence, overcome adversity, and carved her own path,” the memoir’s description reads. “The former first lady invites readers into her world, offering an intimate portrait of a woman who has lived an extraordinary life.”

Donald Trump did his part to boost the book’s pre-order total on Friday night, sharing an Amazon link to purchase it on Truth Social along with a sales pitch. Fox News reported Monday that the memoir had taken the top spot on several Amazon “Best Sellers” lists.

“If you love our former first lady as much as me, and are ready for the Truth, buy her new book now!” Trump wrote. “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.”

Melania has been largely absent on the campaign trail this summer. Her lone appearance with Trump came at the RNC, where she showed up and smiled on stage alongside her husband but never spoke. She’s still been spotted out and about on occasion, including last week in New York City.

It’s an important time for the former first lady—not just because Trump is vying for a second term, but because her lone child, 18-year-old Barron Trump, is set to begin college somewhere in New York this fall.