Being Virtual is Going Viral

You have probably bumped into Zoom conferencing by now. Its popularity is quickly establishing it as the de facto video conferencing platform with its current growth from 10 million to 200 million monthly users in the last 3 months.

With Zoom users, however, it’s not just business as usual. Many uses of the platform go beyond company meetings into virtual happy hours, friendly check-ins, family meetups, and more.

With video conferencing already playing a huge role in the ‘new normal’, many industries are also adopting similar technologies to broadcast their ‘live’ events. Even with certain restrictions lifting, almost all public gatherings continue to be canceled until 2021.

But the show must go on. In particular, fashion shows, which have already flirted with a digital format for years and are now dovetailing into what designers are calling - “phygital”. You guessed it, the word prodigy that came from smashing both ‘physical’ and ‘digital’ into one word.

Welcome to the technologically forward world of phygital fashion. Wow, that was a mouthful! One of the first steps into this brave new universe was Fashion Unites, a YouTube-streamed edition of CR Runway - hosted by former Vogue Paris editor, Carine Roitfeld. It was the first ‘at-home’ runway show where models strutted their stuff in their own clothes walking the halls of their envy-inducing homes as the runways.

As you may have expected, the phygital fashion show is here to stay indefinitely. Be on the lookout this June for London’s Fashion Week to be rolled out on their own online platform.

It’s not just fashion shows that are being impacted, but the biggest nights in fashion have also hit pause. One of the most notable is the Met Gala which usually broadcasts the first Monday in May. The cancellation has left quarantined celebrities giving a go at the #metgalachallenge using items around their house and dressing up at home to post on Instagram. And you thought you were the only one suffering.

Let’s Get Phygital, Phygital

You wanna get phygital? I have a way for you to get your own slice of high fashion streaming right to your Zoom room. But first, I want to cover some technical housekeeping so you know how to create these custom backgrounds inside your own Zoom account.

There are two ways to do this. The first option is inside your Zoom account settings as outlined here. The other, which is much easier (in my opinion) is inside your Zoom room once you’ve opened the application.

To illustrate how easy this process is just follow the series of screenshots for instructions below.

And………tah-dah!!! Suddenly, it’s -

Be a ‘Virtual Attendee’ at the Most Sought After Events

I’ve curated some of the most iconic moments of fashion history that you can download to use as a custom background with your Zoom account. It may not be the same as actually being there but hey, even your favorite celebrities are stuck at home.

Additionally, I’ve paired jewelry looks with each background to complete your on-screen presence with appropriate bling for the virtual occasion. A little red carpet styling for you to feel confident from the waist up even if you’re not wearing any pants.

Now that you’re properly accessorized with both your high fashion Zoom background and new bling, it’s time to impress on your next virtual happy hour. Be prepared for frequent compliments.

(Click on any image to get product details)