At heart, Ivanka Trump is a daddy's girl. The 25–year–old senior vice president of real–estate development for the Trump organization inherited her killer instinct for business straight from the Donald, as well as his lack of sentimentality for subpar employees. (Luckily, she inherited her looks from her mom.)Like a true Trump, she's not content with simply making people wealth. This month, the Apprentice judge makes her first independent move as an entrepreneur, launching Ivanka Trump diamond boutiques in New York and Las Vegas. Their mix of sex appeal, accessibility and high–end style perfectly summarizes Ivanka's identity. Whatever she's selling, we're buying.
STUFF: These Ivanka Trump boutiques are the first brand extension of your own name. Why diamonds?
IVANKA: I got my love of jewelry from my mom. For women, there's a reason why diamonds have transcended generations. There's a lure that goes with a diamond that makes it so much more significant than the piece itself. But I don't think that older jewelers have a voice that reaches the younger generation.
If we've been dating a girl for a year, what should we give her as an anniversary gift?
We'll, I'll have to go with something spectacular, because a boyfriend of mine might be reading this! I wouldn't want to set the bar low. But I think any gift of jewelry would work. For a year, I'd something beautiful and simple, like a diamond tennis bracelet.
How soon is too soon to give a girl diamonds?
Never.
Really?
Well, if you’re on the second date and you had a rocky first one, it would probably be silly. That’s not going to get you anything other than a restraining order. But if it’s early in your relationship, and there’s an incredible connection, I think that giving jewelry is very much a symbolic act of your sentiments.
We were bummed to hear that The Apprentice might be over for good. Is this the end of your TV career?
I don’t know. I’m getting a lot of offers, but I look at doing TV as ancillary to my main passion, which is real estate. If it’s a total deviation from this industry, I wouldn’t be interested.
Do you have to deal with the Apprentice winners on a regular basis?
Sure, and by and large, everyone’s been very helpful. I sit down with each of them after they win and make sure they’re fully committed. I wouldn’t fault a person for trying to make the most of their moment, but I’m not in the business of teaching people to do something and then having them disappear.
Have you ever had to fire someone?
I have. It’s not fun. Anybody who enjoys it is a little sick, you know?
How did you handle it?
Pretty straightforwardly, the way I handle most things. I don’t mince words. Sometimes people just aren’t producing. We run a lean and mean operation at Trump, and if somebody isn’t living up to our standard, they’re dead weight.
Although you were born rich, you’ve never had the sense of entitlement that other “celebutantes” seem to have. Were you as excited as the rest of the country was when Paris Hilton was sent to jail?
No, I felt terrible for her. The whole thing was blown out of proportion. I think she should have been punished for drunk driving, but I’d never be happy to see somebody go through that. Why don’t we read crazy stories about you in the tabloids? I am guarded in my interaction with the media. I’m not out there saying salacious things, and I’m not looking to promote an acting career. If I’m on television, it’s because I’m talking about a building. So there’s a serious side to me, but anyone who knows me on a personal level knows that I’m a total goofball.
When we interviewed you for our cover story last year, there was no special man in your life. Has that changed?
Perhaps. That’s all I can give you.
Fair enough. If he exists, what was the first thing he did that made you feel all warm and swoony?
The number–one thing I care about is intelligence. I’m not superficial in terms of looks. I can go from not being attracted to somebody to being blown away because of how intelligent they are. To me, the greatest turn–on is feeling like somebody’s smarter than me, so that’s why I tend to date dorks. Intelligence, control and power are all very sexy.
