With 'Vial', the Fashion Industry Gets in on Satirizing Beauty Standards

The Substance, which debuted at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, delivers an adroit and visceral take on the lengths one could go to in pursuit of youth and beauty, with the sinister hand of big pharma on their side. Fans of the feature-length film’s depiction will find similar importance in Vial: a new, highly stylized short that takes aim at the insidious influence of the wellness industry, and counts fashion labels like Collina Strada, Clio Peppiatt, and Bad Binch TongTong as wardrobe collaborators.

The 20-minute short follows an “aging,” 27-year-old supermodel named Poppy as she confronts fading into obscurity and losing the interest of Keith, a high-profile photographer on the verge of replacing her with a younger muse. What follows is a trip down a technicolor rabbit hole as Poppy acts on Keith’s suggestion that she take better care of herself. To bring this to life, director Caroline Iaffaldano worked with all-women department heads and a majority-women crew, which she recalls as “one of the most meaningful aspects of [the] experience.”

“It brought a unique perspective to the set, creating an environment that felt extremely collaborative and safe,” she tells Surface. “Being surrounded by so many talented women was incredibly inspiring and it reinforced how important it is to tell these stories from our own lens.” In addition to Collina Strada and Clio Peppiatt, women-led labels like Beepy Bella, Tyler McGillivary, and Millie Savage contributed to the film’s wardrobe. They’ve since gone on to see the payoff as Vial has made its way through Atlanta, Austin, and NewFilmmakers L.A. on the festival circuit.

“Seeing films like The Substance spark such a strong collective response has been really exciting and affirming, ” says Iaffaldano. “It’s a reminder that there is a real appetite for female-driven narratives and that our voices, and the way we choose to tell these stories, are both valid and necessary.”