You would think that being blessed with killer cheekbones and grace of a gazelle would be enough to keep most women content.

Yet, every other day seems to bring news of models or beauty queens delving into industries that require them to be more than just pretty faces.

Of course, their beauty does not hurt this second wind. After all, it is unlikely that Kate Moss would have landed designer gigs for Topshop and Longchamp if she was not revered by many for her style and fellow British model Sophie Dahl probably would not get much attention for her cookbooks if she had not been a Vogue cover girl.

On the homefront, Miss Singapore International 1986 and Miss Singapore World 1988 Teo Ser Lee and Miss Singapore World 1999 Audrey Quek have transformed their pageant-honed poise into successful image consultancy businesses.

Supermodel Nora Ariffin is now a vice-president of a New York real estate brokerage firm, while models Celia Teh and Jessie Leong have put their fashion savvy behind a handbag label.

We speak to former model Hanis Hussey and beauty queens Colleen Francisca and Rachel Kum to find out why they decided to embrace entrepreneurship.

COLLEEN FRANCISCA, 28

This winner of the 2006 Miss Singapore World pageant is a believer in the old saying that when life hands you lemons, you make lemonade.

In her case, it was arriving in the Chinese city of Changsha with just one suitcase of clothes for the 2004 Miss Tourism finals that got her entrepreneurial streak going.

'The other contestants had seven suitcases worth of clothes for the month we were there and we had to attend so many cocktail parties and black-tie events,' she recalls.

'But very few brands and designers in Singapore want to sponsor pageant contestants. I had to keep repeating my clothes and even borrowed clothes from the other girls - I was very unprepared.'

It was after that experience that she decided to take matters into her own hands and began dabbling in fashion design, talking through her ideas with a seamstress 'as I can't sketch'.

By the time she went for the Miss World finals in Warsaw, Poland, she was able to pack four suitcases with her own designs. For the Mrs World pageant in 2008, she also wore her own designs, which are heavily influenced by her extensive experience in the pageant world.

'Pageant dresses have a certain look, they need to be flowy when contestants walk across the stage,' says Francisca, who has taken part in a total of nine pageants and is married to a business coach.

She officially launched the fashion brand Francisca last year and loaned that year's Miss Singapore World, Pilar Carmelita Arlando, 18 dresses for the pageant finals in South Africa. Talk about prime-time product placement.

During the Mrs World finals in Moscow, she struck up a friendship with Mrs Italy and Mrs Canada, who are considering selling Francisca's designs in their countries.

'I have met so many girls from all over the world. It's a good way to network,' she says.

Her former background as a model also helps her fashion label when it comes to putting together lookbooks.

'It's easier for me as a businesswoman to put together a shoot because I have many friends who are photographers and stylists. How many other business owners have this background?' she reasons.

'It makes my fashion brand much more credible with customers.'

Her designs can be found at a showroom in 46 Emerald Hill Road (by appointment only) as well as www.franciscaonline.com and include accessories and swimwear as well as long frocks ranging from $120 for a resortwear dress to $500 for a one-of-a kind piece.

Since 2003, she has also been running a cupcake business. Her website, www.thecupcakeboutique.sg, will be relaunched next month.

She first joined the pageant world at age 18, after a year as a model.

'Modelling was very difficult for me. There were a lot of Russian girls at the time and clients preferred them. I started taking part in pageants because I wanted the recognition.'

With six pageant titles under her belt, she may just be gunning for Entrepreneur Of The Year next.

This article was first published in Urban, The Straits Times.