3D Virtual Dressing Room at South Bay Galleria

Imagine being able to look in a full-length mirror and superimpose an outfit onto your body—sort of like cutting and pasting a face on a different body in Photoshop. The Swivel 3-D Virtual Dressing Room by FaceCake Marketing Technologies claims to make this science-fiction concept into a live reality. It was unveiled in partnership with the South Bay Galleria in Redondo Beach, Calif., on Sept. 3.

The virtual dressing room is similar to a real dressing room except without peeling off shirts, unbuttoning pants or untying shoes. Customers step into the dressing room and can quot;try onquot; outfits from different stores through the virtual mirror. The outfit can be seen from any angle on the wearer’s body as he or she twists and turns in live 3-D motion. The customer can even select different backgrounds such as the red carpet or the beach to match the outfit. Several of the pieces available to quot;try onquot; were available for purchase at Nordstrom.

quot;Virtual dressing rooms are the next big thing in the world of shopping,quot; South Bay Galleria Marketing Director Mickey Marraffino said in a statement. quot;As thought leaders in the retail industry, we are always using new technology to enhance and extend our customers’ shopping experience. The premiere of Swivel is especially exciting, as we’re able to give our shoppers the opportunity to be among the first to experience this new, cutting-edge technology, which, up until now, they may have only seen in movies.quot;

At the public preview, guests were able to quot;try onquot; two exclusive red-carpet gowns from quot;Project Runwayquot; star and fashion personality Nick Verreos’ Nikolaki line.

quot;Swiveling between outfits happens at lightning speed, enabling the shopper to instantly visualize look after look,quot; FaceCake founder and Chief Executive Officer Linda Smith said. quot;It’s the perfect solution for shoppers who want to see what a complete outfit looks like without having to search from department to department or store to store.quot;

Taking the shopping experience one step further, Swivel is integrated into social-networking tools so that after the wearer virtually tries on an outfit, he or she can send the photo to friends via Facebook, Twitter or email. —Rhea Cortado