HSG

It is always interesting to discover new plus-size labels in exotic lands, and the latest such discovery is Scarlet.

Scarlet is the full-figured branch of the Splash fashion group, which is headquarterd in the United Arab Emirates (a state bordering Saudi Arabia on the Persian Gulf).

However, little apart from the script on the company's cover page would reveal the fact that it this is an Arabic entity. The English-language version of the Web site looks very much like that of any Western retailer, and the company's model is a fair-haired Caucasian goddess whose remarkable loveliness prompted us to compose the current post.

This photograph in particular shows her extraordinary beauty--her babylike facial features, her golden hair, and the softness of her limbs. The sun caresses her gently, bathing her in a celestial light.

Alas, she is a tad on the faux-plus side, but while one wishes that she were fuller-figured, her attractions are considerable. Note here the eye-catching detail of the top pulling at the buttons, testifying to the close fit.

The clothing is generally Western, but has a few distinctive Middle Eastern touches, such as the print on this tunic. The model's sunny demeanour is captivating.

We have cropped most of the images to focus on her, but as this is the most interesting photograph in terms of composition, let's view it full width. The shoreline and the open sea in the background, with the sky stretching off into infinity, create a dramatic effect. The location was extremely well chosen.

This is surely the most visibly ethnic garment in the Scarlet collection, and to see it modelled by such a distinctively Caucasian beauty creates an interesting visual effect. Her facial features look particularly angelic and youthful here. One imagines her as a legendary beauty with whom an Oriental sultan became besotten, then . . . wooed? . . . captured? . . . and made the queen of his realm.

Note the effective "framing" of the seacost in the image. While the top is loose, the ruching draws attention to the model's bust in a highly sensual manner.

The following is always an interesting pose for a model to adopt--relaxed yet expectant, as if she were inviting an embrace. In this composition, the background seems to externalize her own dreams, as if she were yearning for a far-distant land--or for a beloved from whom she has been parted. The exotic nature of the client heightens this impression of distance, in place and thought.

Here, on the other hand, the model seems more imposing, almost majestic--the casual wardrobe not disguising her aristocratic bearing.

And finally, a casual outfit in an image that has an altogether "cooler" ambience than the rest of the photos.

This is an interesting and highly successful promotion from an intriguing new full-figure label. The Scarlet model is an extraordinary beauty--and a tad mysterious, as her identity is not immediately apparent.

Aficionados of plus-size beauty are sure to keep a close eye on the company's Web site to monitor its future campaigns.

- Click here to visit Splash Fashions