World 150

In the early 2000s in World 150 the tenets of the free and open source software movement were reinterpreted by a radical network of anarchist seamstresses. They developed a network of open source clothing design and fabrication that caught on in the nascent Maker movement. Open source clothing designs (as well as the machines necessary to digitally fabricate them) became ubiquitous, and emblematic of sustainable alternatives to capitalism.

People in need of clothing visit a makerspace and “print” their own. Wealthier individuals pay designers to make improvements or custom modifications which then also become open source due to licensing terms. Capitalism is destroyed.

What if …

the free and open source software movement of the early 2000s had inspired a free and open-source fashion movement?

Issue:

modes of production that are a sustainable alternative to capitalism

Inspiration:

free open source software, anarchism, the work of Ursula K. LeGuin

This World was contributed by Amos Blanton (located in rural Denmark) using a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International licence which allows others to share and adapt the work in any medium and for any purpose, providing that they credit the author and share their material using the same Creative Commons licence.

Does this World remind you of something?

I am keen to hear about any historical or contemporary real-world examples – whether individual practices, subcultures or mainstream activities – that this fiction brings to mind.

Please share any such examples using this form. Thank you!

Published by Amy Twigger Holroyd

explorer of Fashion Fictions