She might now be working behind the scenes running a successful PR agency, but former beauty queen Lelia Chow Mei-fung still loves being the centre of attention. Her firm, Frement, threw itself a 13th anniversary party at the Miramar Hotel on Wednesday, full of local starlets and television personalities - no doubt paying their respects because Chow's agency had hired them for jobs over the years. The evening also served to inaugurate the Miramar's new ground-floor Room One bar. In fact, the whole hotel has been completely revamped and will be relaunched soon.
But the night belonged to Chow and her all-female staff. A large cake was brought out, silly games were played and prizes doled out. Thirteen may be unlucky to some, but publicist Chow fondly recalled her fortuitous beginnings.
'I was just a tai-tai before,' said Chow (pictured with Jaz Pan of Room One). 'My kids were in school and I just went to a lot of afternoon teas, cocktails and lunch events organised by my friend Elaine Sung [also a former Miss Hong Kong]. When she moved overseas, she suggested I start my own public relations firm because I'd been to so many functions. Then people asked me to do their events.'
Chow has tried other things - hosting a radio show and running a children's education centre - but PR seems to be her niche, even though she said it's hard work and requires long hours. 'I don't need the money, but I confess I just like [being involved with] nice things.'