Showcase of extravagance

hey are filthy rich and are not afraid to flaunt it.

Cable channel E! Entertainment is serving up a new reality TV show which glamorises the lifestyles of the absurdly wealthy - one that makes the cast of The Simple Life and Keeping Up With The Kardashians look poor.

Aptly titled #RichKids Of Beverly Hills, it follows five self-indulgent 20-somethings living it up in the upscale Beverly Hills community, which holds the highly coveted 90210 postal code.

On regular Friday nights, they throw over-the-top penthouse parties, popping more than 40 bottles of champagne and racking up a bar bill of over US$40,000 (S$50,700).

On the show, main cast member Dorothy Wang admitted she had "lost count" of how many Hermes Birkin bags she owned. (For the record, a regular one costs more than US$10,000).

Her BFF, Morgan Stewart, has about 200 pairs of Christian Louboutin shoes which are priced at about US$1,500 a pair or US$300,000 in total.

Inspired by popular Tumblr sensation "Rich Kids of Instagram" , #RichKids - which airs every Sunday at 10pm on E! Entertainment (StarHub Ch 441) - has drawn more than 5.5 million viewers since it premiered in mid-January in the US.

Wang, the youngest daughter of Chinese billionaire property mogul Roger Wang, told The New Paper in an interview over the phone from Los Angeles: "Our lives haven't changed much after filming the show, but because now every thing is recorded, sometimes it's hard to watch it again as we've had some embarrassing moments."

The 26-year-old University of Southern California graduate, who says she is "good friends" with Paris and Nicky Hilton, added: "My parents love the show as they find it entertaining. "

Stewart is the blogger daughter of millionaire architect Herbert Stewart and her blog BoobsandLoubs.com details her extravagant lifestyle.

Other cast members include Stewart's boyfriend, real estate tycoon Brendan Fitzpatrick, interior designer Roxy Sowlaty and songwriter Jonny Drubel, all aged 25.

MATERIALISTIC

On the show, Wang and Stewart come across as materialistic women who are not afraid to speak their minds.

In one episode, Wang makes her decision to buy a US$3.5 million apartment based on the "selfie lighting" in the rooms.

The two self-confessed selfie queens even gave TNP tips on taking a good shot.

Said Stewart: "Hold the camera as far away from the face as possible, a close-up shot is just depressing."

Wang added: "Taking a selfie is always better when you are in full... make-up."

When asked what was the highest amount of money they spent during a single shopping trip, both were at a loss for words.

Wang giggled before saying: "Well, it depends if my parents are there. Every item which I bought - my parents know about it and they bought it for me.

"However, if it's just me and Morgan shopping on our own, we will buy a few dresses and spend just a couple of thousand dollars."

Not surprisingly, their ostentatious lifestyles have been criticised by some viewers who see no value in the show.

Stewart, who admitted that the negative comments have affected her, said the best thing to do is to ignore them.

"Once I start reading, I get so caught up and it takes a toll on my mind. Instagram is the place where people just speak their minds freely," she said.

Wang added: "The really good thing is that we are going through this together, so we have a support system. Some days, even though we try to ignore it, it gets to us and I will call Morgan and talk about it."

TOP 5 Dorothy Wang's craziest quotes

1. "I was born and raised in Beverly Hills, California, which is the best city in the world. My occupation is being 'funemployed' and 'fabuluxe'."

2."My Spanish is fair, but it gets great when I'm drunk."

3."I like to be within an 8km radius of Barneys at all times."

4."Fridays at clubs are almost like amateurs' night. It's like New Year's Eve."

5."Honestly, money can't buy happiness. My Birkins aren't going to hug me back at night and tell me they love me, even though sometimes I think they do."

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