What will happen when technology drives production costs to almost zero? This is the question asked at the very beginning of the November 6th, 2025 Metatrends article by Peter Diamandis. He notes that this topic is discussed in The Zero Marginal Cost Society by Jeremy Rifkin. The idea of "prosumers", (consumers who also produce) and their collaboration ethos is of particular interest to me. Peter notes that: "Power shifts from corporations to distributed, peer-to-peer commons: where access, sustainability, and collective well-being supersede ownership and market competition."

The Ferrari thought experiment also caught my attention. Applying that idea to fashion means that in the future, fabrics, accessories and outfits could be made from atoms in the environment, using solar or any other freely available energy. Nanotech and robotics will reduce manufacturing costs to almost zero. Peter quotes Jeremy Rifkin: "“Extreme productivity and collaborative commons will combine to lower the cost of producing goods and services to near zero, making them nearly free, abundant, and no longer subject to market forces.” Profashionmagazine.com notes that: "...⁢ innovative ⁣ fabrics are ⁤ being developed through groundbreaking technology...lab-grown materials like spider ‍silk and mycelium ​leather are paving the way for entirely‍ new‍ options that‍ mimic traditional textiles without the environmental drawbacks."

Peter lists the things which will be scarce in a post-capitalist society: "Time. Attention. Genuine human connection. Creative achievement. Status in communities you care about. The work itself becomes the reward." Afrogoth aims to provide a space for curious, playful, global citizens who love the stories and histories that clothes tell, a space to connect, create and do work with meaning.

In the post-capitalist society, it is the things that cannot be replicated that become valuable, things like "experiences, creativity, meaning, access to what’s genuinely limited." I like the Star Trek analogy given. Afrogoth aims to be a vehicle that enables Afrogothers to travel between the stars, to time travel both to the past and to the future through fashion!