Frederique van der Wal

When she graduated at the of age 18, she moved to New York and began modeling in earnest. She went on to achieve all the touchstones of a great career, including appearances on nine Cosmopolitan covers shot by famed photographer Francesco Scavullo, and has been featured in such top magazines as Vogue, Harper's Bazaar, Glamour, and Madamoiselle.

The campaigns which catapulted Frederique to the pinnacle of the modeling world included Revlon's Most Unforgettable Women in the World, which was shot by photographer Richard Avedon, and the Guess? campaign, which soon followed. But it is for her continuing affiliation with Victoria's Secret that she has received the most recognition.

Despite her phenomenal modeling success, Frederique had higher goals. Harnessing her fame as a model and her sophisticated business acumen, she ventured into a number of entrepreneurial pursuits. When she was young, she labored in restaurants cleaning kitchens, and she had her own newspaper delivery route; she has always been a hard worker.

She has since used her business savvy to launch her own line of lingerie, backed nationwide by JC Penney; a workout video; a collection of bath products; Frederique fragrance, which is sold in H2O Plus boutiques; a calendar; and her own popular Internet site.

While Frederique truly enjoys the best of both the modeling and business worlds, she also has her eye on acting. She can be seen in the 1-800 MCI ads on television. She has appeared in two independent films, and she is taking acting classes.

When she does take time to relax between projects, Frederique likes to read, visit art galleries, ski, sail, mountainclimb, windsurf, and go to the movies.