Laila sits on the sun-warmed steps of a Mediterranean villa in a black and white floral print playsuit and tan lace-up wedge sandals, her pink-blonde hair pulled back in a high ponytail and her chin resting thoughtfully on one hand. Pink bougainvillea cascades down the wall above her, and the garden stretches out behind in a soft blur of green and gold. The afternoon light has that particular warmth that turns everything it touches to honey, and Laila's smoky green eyes and full lips make the most of it. She looks relaxed and unhurried, as though the afternoon has nowhere to be and neither does she.
The playsuit gives way to a black halter-neck swimsuit that shows off Laila's curvy figure against the bright Mediterranean backdrop, the tan wedges still laced to her calves. From there the set takes a familiar path: the swimsuit peels away, and Laila moves between the steps, the garden wall, and the bougainvillea, the warm light catching her skin as each layer falls. In the final frame she stands nude in the garden, the pink flowers blurred behind her, her ponytail catching the breeze, her gaze direct and steady. Afternoon Sun is a set that captures the kind of golden, unhurried warmth that makes you want to slow down and savour the light, and Laila wears every frame of it beautifully.