Van Derham was born in Slovakia. She has one brother. Van Derham came to the United States in 1998 at the age of 22 with only $500 in her pocket. Van Derham has been a vegetarian since she was 18 and became a vegan when she was 34.
Van Derham's modeling career started when she was discovered by a Photographer while working as a waitress in Santa Monica. Van Derham has appeared in over 20 national and international print and TV commercials and over 60 front covers of magazines. Van Derham has also been a spokesmodel for a number of products. Van Derham is the longest-serving St. Pauli Girl with her two year reign. Van Derham was initially chosen using a reader's poll on the Maxim website in 2009. Van Derham also played the Snow Queen in advertisements for Coors beer. Van Derham has been voted one of the 100 sexiest women in the world by magazines on 3 different continents.
In 2012, Van Derham founded VIVA GLAM Magazine as an online magazine.
In the summer of 2013, the magazine released their first print issue with Canadian Guess model Ashley Diana Morris on the cover. This was the first official cover and this issue was free. The magazine’s content includes articles on fashion, beauty, wellness, travel, entertainment, and food. VIVA GLAM Magazine supports an ethical lifestyle. VIVA GLAM Magazine is inspired by classic glamour and old Hollywood, but with an emphasis on modern conscious living. VIVA GLAM Magazine received its first significant news coverage in 2012 when it gave its Sexiest Power Woman of All Time award to model manager Nadja Atwal. The VIVA GLAM Magazine website has 4.5 million views a month.
The 90s Girl is a docu-series produced by VIVA GLAM Magazine. It is an intimate look into Van Derham's life and the lives of the VIVA GLAM Magazine team. It airs Wednesdays on the VIVA GLAM Magazine website and YouTube. The average airtime is 20 minutes. Six episodes (including the pilot) have been released. The 90s Girl premiered in 2017.
Katarina Van Derham launched a liquid lipstick collection “Glamour Garden” Limited Edition Lipstick Collection on February 1, 2018. She teamed up with cosmetic brand, LA Splash, to create a four-color liquid lipstick collection made up of original colors. The four colors included in Katarina’s collection are: Fashioniser, a classic nude, 90s Girl, a dusty rose, Katarina- a peachy-pink and Glamarella, a hot fuchsia lip color.
