HONG KONG socialites who were gutted, filleted and hung out to dry at Christmas, be warned - the same is likely to happen again.
In a hilarious feature in the British glossy monthly Marie Claire late last year Pansy Hui, Jennifer Tose, Flora Cheong-Leen, Lillian el Azar and Margery Au, among others, were portrayed as impossibly rich and self-centred and completely out of touch with life as most people know it, although the ladies complained bitterly that their comments were wildly distorted and taken out of context.
Nevertheless the item aroused enormous interest, so much so that preparations are underway for not only one, but possibly three more profiles of the territory's gilded set. Leading the charge down the ramp at Kai Tak is said to be a BBC film crew, hoping to make a television documentary along the lines of the egregious Lifestyles Of The Rich And Famous.
Two Paris-based interests are also anxious for an intimate look at Hong Kong's most conspicuous consumers. One is an agency that sells stories to glossy magazines and the other is the French monthly Point De Vue. Those trembling in their Gucci slingbacks at the thought of another pasting in print should relax since the latter's editorial stance consists of fawning over European royalty.
''Bring me pictures of Hong Kong royalty!'' demanded the editor after being briefed on the territory. After a clarification of our constitutional arrangements, she decided the filthy rich would be an acceptable substitute.
''Things are so bad here [France] we need to dream, and we hear about these exciting places like Hong Kong; we need to show our readers le richesse of Hong Kong!'' she trilled.