Explore the Mysterious ‘Midnight Zone’ with VADA

For the 2022 Fall/Winter season,  VADA presents its fourth eyewear outing: “Midnight Zone,” designed in America, made in Japan, and inspired by the darkest depths of the waters in between.

At depths so deep that sunlight can’t even reach it, exists the largest ecosystem on planet Earth - the ‘Midnight Zone’. Lurking in these largely unexplored waters is over 70% of sea life. Thanks to its inaccessibility, the Midnight Zone inhabitants are some of the least understood lifeforms in the world, living in the mysterious darkness and rarely seen or studied by humans. 

Founded in 2013, VADA is a line of fine jewellery, antique heirlooms and eyewear that is sold in select retailers around the world. Its Austin-based studio employs an all-female production team and in 2020, it expanded its offerings with VADA EYES - eyewear made from the finest Japanese materials and shipped to customers in eco-friendly packaging that has been produced using renewable energies.

To launch the new FW22 collection, VADA founder Katie Caplener reached out to ArtClass’ director, Emily Elizabeth Thomas to work on a promotional short film, titled ‘Midnight Zone’. Emily is a genre filmmaker whose work confronts traditional ideas of femininity with a punk flair, and seeks to inspire women and girls to believe in their magic. Her work spans a wide range of companies, including directed branded campaigns for ESPN, Disney, and the Brooklyn Film Festival. She is best known for weaving intricate narratives and her award-winning breakout short film, ‘Lola: Girl Got a Gun’. As well as providing the director, ArtClass also oversaw post-production on the film, with ArtClass’ James Boger editing the spot too.

The film sees a pair of stylish, punk-inspired models exploring a cavernous space that is illuminated only by the eerie light of anglerfish. Brought to life by some vibrant illustrations and animations, the spot becomes a psychedelic, dreamlike experience as we see severed limbs, smears of blood and killer fish. The experimental camera work and dramatic lighting create a scary movie atmosphere with arthouse elements, which perfectly suit the tone of the collection and are sure to get you in the mood for Halloween.