So Teresa Cheung Siu-wai, the broke It-girl who has helped define our cash-strapped era, has finally bitten the bullet and closed her eponymous boutique. 'Sars killed off the business,' she said on Friday.
'Our sales went down 90 per cent and we just couldn't keep going.'
So what's the next move for the former Mrs Kenny Bee, who remains $250 million in debt after her property investments collapsed in 1998? Last week she wasn't saying, but the rumour is she is planning to embark on an acting career and has already screen-tested for a number of directors.
Our friends in the film industry tell us there are no doubts about her star quality. 'Hong Kong people have been obsessed with her survival in the face of staggering debt,' said Cable TV gossip show host and actor, Nel Nel. 'She is probably the most talked-about woman in the city. The question is, can she act?'
Judging by the way Cheung has put on such a cheerful face despite her problems these past five years, we reckon she'll have no problems.
