Van der wal was 18 when she moved to the United States to pursue a career in modeling. Once stateside she landed the covers of Vogue, Cosmopolitan, and Harper’s Bazaar and walked the runway for Victoria’s Secret, Adrienne Vittadini and many more. She also ventured into licensing deals and created her own fragrance and bathing suit line. Later on she worked as an aspiring actress and television exec: she appeared alongside Will Smith in “Wild Wild West” and produced and hosted a Discovery Channel special about the flower industry called “The Invisible Journey”, among other projects for A&E and FOX. Recognizing her rising star, the Dutch government named a flower after her in 2005. Filming the documentary inspired van der Wal to make a mark on the industry. The idea for Frederique’s Choice took root.