Over the decades, the evolution of fashion has been captured in many different ways – from the days of the Old Masters where paintings represented human portraits and captured what life was supposed to look like, to the digital camera which made room for higher quality pictures. When camera-phones came onto the scene, Paris Hilton coined an iconic line on soap-drama The OC that suggested selfies were the “autographs of the 21st century”.

Now it’s safe to say that while we’ve been cooped up and left to our own devices, creatives and photographers alike have stumbled upon a new form of visual storytelling – one that navigates digital spaces through video call apps. It’s becoming clear that platforms like Zoom, Facetime or even Skype aren’t just mere networking tools anymore. In fact, they have played a major part in propelling creativity to flourish in a time of social distancing and self-isolation.

It’s also interesting to note that there have been many celebrities – and slowly – fashion brands like Jacquemus who are taking the leap to work on such ‘virtual’ photoshoot projects during this period. These included the likes of ’90s supermodel Cindy Crawford, Terrace House star Lauren Tsai, and The Half Of It‘s lead actress Leah Lewis who did a virtual shoot to commemorate the launch of the Netflix film.

What I’ve found incredible about this emerging photography trend on social media is how fluid and innovative models, photographers, and creatives would have to be given new constraints. There’s a new mode of execution that has to go into producing the final shots – one that requires mutual direction and hard work put in by the respective parties.

While we can’t say for sure if this method of photography will become widely used in future editorial spreads or fashion campaigns. This form of artistic expression could possibly take off and set the tone for what’s to come in the fashion industry.

Images Courtesy of Lenne Chai, Sam Dameshek & Alessio Albi

This article first appeared on Harper’s Bazaar Singapore.