Third Spaces: The Anti-Thesis to Fast Fashion
In the relentless pursuit of addressing the pressing concerns of fast fashion, an intriguing but often overlooked concept beacons hope: third spaces. These informal spaces, where individuals converge to form a collective haven, hold the key to ushering in a new era of positive social and environmental transformation. They also serve as a refreshing path forward in tackling the multifaceted challenges plaguing the fashion industry and our planet. In this blog article, we will examine how these informal environments foster collaboration, contemplation, and a sense of belonging to revolutionize how we perceive, produce, and engage with fashion.
Third Spaces: What Are They?
Living in a Western country is filled with bills and expectations to live a modern lifestyle, including a home with a white picket fence, a shiny car, and the latest iPhone. Yet, this world comes with the sacrifice of long hours at work that barely pays enough to get by. And when we are not in our 9-5, we are likely at home. Third spaces question this accepted normalcy, doubting our quality of life when we don't have meaningful connections with our local neighborhood. We the people create third spaces, where locals form social solidarity, and value collective self-management over individual autonomy. An ideal framework includes autogestion, a series of actions where the process becomes a form of practice. The "auto" in autogestion means collective or community-based praxis rather than individual efforts. Autogestion, translated in English, means self-management and would allow for multi-sensory social spaces that uplift cognitive, emotional, and social growth through art, rituals, performance, and on an intersectional and spiritual basis. Third spaces are democratic, community-grounded, and defy dominant forms of thinking. There is no perfect path, so we must create it to practice it. These spaces should spark our imagination to what is possible and strengthen our ability to collaborate, learn, and relate. Visualize regular patrons and new visitors connecting than otherwise possible because this is the birth of strong, communal relationships.
It is not required to be radical lefty to believe in third spaces, although its existence and use have some of that essence. When not at home, work, or shopping, it is a revolutionary act to come together without needing to buy anything. We don't even need to identify with third spaces if our first space, our homes, represents our identities and everyday lives, and if the second space, our workplace, represents the dominant and colonial forces that shape our waking 9-5. Third spaces can give us a new pocket to explore domination, power, and emancipation, but it does not mean it will define you in any certain way outside of your control or liking. Third spaces do not threaten our lives, identity, or financial stability. At the end of the day, they are free spaces in your local community where you can relate and work together in a radically new way. But, stands as a stark difference between market fundamentalism, authoritarianism, and racism that shape how we function and relate on a normal basis.
Third Spaces: How They Work for A New Fashion World
Third spaces serve as hubs for social interaction outside of one's immediate living or work environment that encourages informal encounters with others. Yes, they are rare and new to find, but revolutionary to current systems and business structures that rely on financial transactions. People who organize free third spaces inherently challenge current social and relational norms in our current economic system, also known as capitalism. Capitalism relies on private ownership of the means of production and their operation is profit-driven. We can learn a lot about how to build third spaces from Latin American countries that often prioritize collective values and community over individualism and corporate interest. Learning how to connect is essential in building community versus commodifying social interactions driven by business goals. Creating third spaces has never been more important in the face of a loneliness epidemic where we are often isolated, with no friends or local network to rely on.
Third spaces are essential if we hope to have a place to engage in genuine dialogue, emotional exchanges, and communal living. Examples of third spaces include gyms, libraries, cafes, and parks that help us congregate in shared places. However, cafes and gyms are not necessarily resisting the co-option or commodification of social life; they are benefiting from the loneliness we face. We also have to engage in a task or act out a plan to use these spaces, leading to these third spaces being commodified by our habits. Third spaces, if they go unchecked, will end up supporting the systems that made us lonely in the first place. Our current third spaces, like cafes, also rely on connecting with our existing network, consuming goods and products, doing a socially-acceptable tasks, and staying relatively quiet. If we hope to make new friends and connect in meaningful ways, we need to move beyond external goals and business-like meetings in public. Let’s show up on a genuine and authentic level without paying for anything in exchange or hyper-focusing on our productivity.
Local Community: A Radical Coming Together
Creating a better world where fashion is ethical and sustainable means coming together powerfully and authentically. It is easy to accomplish big goals when we talk to each other, learn with each other, and genuinely connect. Yet, strategic leadership structures are needed to harness the power of democratic, decentralized third spaces. Political activism, community organizing, and social movements should, and have, harnessed the art of carving out accessible, organized IRL spaces. Third spaces allow us to fight for our strategic campaigns and embrace the notion of praxis, where we proactively take action on theories. An intentional and countercultural step away from the home-to-work-and-back again shuttle. Our social well-being and psychological health need community, yet we don't know who our neighbors are. So. let’s support each other and have each other back if we ever hope to form a strong base of sustainable fashion and environmental activists.
Crafting ideal democratic spaces will continue to evolve in the face of imperfections, contradictions, and tensions with ongoing collective reflection and dialogue. Our journey in fighting systemic oppression can start by sitting in a comfy chair in a room filled with friendly locals. All the while, communities struggling with poverty and trauma are more likely to prosper when there is radical cariño (kindness) in their life. Spacial injustice is present in our everyday lives and will remain so if we do not come together. Making third spaces is therefore critical to social justice work and fashion activism. Local and interconnected support systems are rare when all means of knowing each other come from work and our immediate family. Yet, we can’t handle the world alone, because limited support systems or local care systems will limit our capacity to thrive. The most radical vision we can have is helping each other while fighting hand-in-hand together with visionary campaigns set to realistic, measurable goals and clear targets.
Local Fashion Third Spaces In Western Culture
Taking fast fashion down to a local level is crucial in Western countries where advocates often fight for oppressed communities in the Global South. Consider how you can break down social and environmental issues in fashion within your city/town. It is unlikely you’re directly impacted by the oppression and exploitation of fast fashion brands, but you know the negative impacts of their practices. Consider researching if fast fashion is present in your community and make a game plan for addressing it. Investigate who is the most impacted, where it’s happening, how it came to be, and when it started. Having context and information is essential to addressing problems and what possible solutions could look like. The issues in the fast fashion industry are rooted in business interests made by Western executives interested in increasing profit margins. Take action and create a strong team with people you trust will rally behind a problem in the industry. Focus on solutions for fast fashion by focusing on a strategic power campaign. A lack of genuine relationships in groups will likely result in efforts fizzling out and becoming wishes versus action plans.
Third space should not be built in the goal of radicalizing people to place them in groups that move towards campaigns. Instead, third spaces should be neutral spaces that naturally move people to organize for a better, more humane world. We need to know what's happening in our neighborhood in a real and interpersonal way, meeting ourselves in conversations, laughter, and the flow of coming and going of others. Third spaces are the secret ingredient in realizing we hold collective power, the neutral grounding for seeding the future bloom of friendships and community. On neutral ground we can come and go without making arrangements or excuses; leaving the very moment it suits us. We need to wander in communal spaces, be able to ask questions, and observe new ways of being. Starting with low-commitment tasks where lingering and the interexchange of our day and thoughts will radicalize us into a new world. This is especially true when we want to create community-driven, sustainable environments that promote social interaction, awareness, and engagement with ethical fashion practices.
Direct, Local, and Effective Solutions to Fast Fashion
Direct, local, and effective solutions to address the challenges posed by fast fashion involve proactive community engagement and the establishment of initiatives that encourage sustainable practices. By setting achievable goals and rallying community participation, individuals can make a tangible impact in reshaping the fashion landscape. One impactful way to promote sustainability is by organizing ethical fashion swap events where we can exchange or donate clothing to foster a local culture of sharing and reducing the reliance on new garments. Fashion workshops can play a pivotal role in educating and involving the community in ethical practices. These sessions could focus on upcycling and clothing repair, empowering individuals to extend the lifespan of their garments. By equipping people with the skills to mend and repurpose clothing, we can shift mindsets towards valuing and caring for our garments, reducing the overall demand for fast fashion.
Set realistic goals and invite others to make a sustainable fashion world possible Third spaces allow for free community repair hubs and fashion cooperatives, ensuring shared benefits through principles of autogestion. Community gardens would also help educate volunteers about sustainable textile crops and encourage a deeper understanding of how our clothing is made. Interactive sustainable fashion exhibits would also allow us to have inclusive, educational, and empowering examples to move towards a more sustainable and mindful fashion landscape.
By implementing these direct and local initiatives, communities can actively contribute to the transformation of the fashion industry, fostering a more sustainable and mindful approach that benefits both individuals and the environment. Through collaboration and education, these solutions pave the way for a future where fashion aligns with ethical values and environmental stewardship. Remember that the key is to create spaces that are inclusive, participatory, and responsive to the unique needs of the community, fostering a sense of connection, empowerment, and environmental stewardship.