“I Don’t Think of Myself as In Fashion”: Space Vintage’s Take on Sustainability, Vintage and Being an Independent

Nestled in the entrancing plethora of independent-business delights, Space  Vintage has recently joined the Corn Exchange. They stock quality women’s and  men’s vintage clothing, retro homeware, and vintage watches and jewellery. So, I  decided to investigate how they define, prioritise, and embody sustainability in an  industry increasingly defined by disposable trends. Speaking to the store’s team, it  became clear that vintage is not a niche aesthetic choice, but a deliberate rejection  of what fashion has become.  

“I don’t think of myself as in fashion,” they admit, pointing to the rise of fast  fashion and its culture of endless, mindless consumption. Where contemporary  fashion pushes constant dopamine-inducing novelty, Space Vintage prioritises  longevity: garments designed to last, age, and exist beyond trend cycles. Vintage,  they explain, is about “long-lasting classics, not dressing to trends and not looking  like everyone else.” In this sense, sustainability is embedded not as a selling point,  but as a principle. 

Within the business, vintage is broadly defined as any item over 20 years old – though even that definition feels increasingly blurred. As the owner notes, fashion  has “eaten itself”: it’s often difficult to distinguish something made in 2005 from  something produced today. In contrast, pieces from the 1950s through to the 1970s  remain instantly recognisable decades later, defined by distinct silhouettes, fabrics  and construction. That recognisability speaks to a slower, more intentional  approach to clothing production – one largely absent from today’s fashion  landscape. These are ‘wow’ pieces, ones which you reach for over and over  because their perfect fit and high quality always work. 

This resistance to speed also shapes how Space Vintage operates within  Leeds’ fashion scene. While many vintage shops have shifted toward stocking  mostly 80s, 90s and even early 2000s pieces, Space Vintage occupies a different  space. The owner makes no attempt to keep up with trends, arguing that this shift  has simply created room for shops offering “true vintage”: genuinely older garments  that prioritise quality over trend relevance. 

Sustainability, for them, is unavoidable in any honest discussion about  fashion. “Fashion as a whole is appalling,” they state bluntly, suggesting that much  of the industry could disappear overnight with little loss. Vintage, however, operates  outside that cycle. By not producing anything new and instead keeping garments in 

circulation, shops like Space Vintage offer an alternative to constant production and waste. 

That responsibility, they argue, extends to consumers – particularly students.  Shopping locally and second-hand isn’t framed as a sacrifice, but as an ethical  choice. “Every pound you spend is a vote for the kind of world you want,” they  argue, suggesting that local and second-hand businesses survive only through  active support. Put more simply: “use it or lose it.” In a city continually shaped by  student culture and independent businesses, Space Vintage stands as a reminder  that sustainability in fashion doesn’t require reinvention – just sustaining the spaces  which actually reduce, re-use, and recycle. It’s more important than ever to support  your local businesses, so head on down to the Corn Exchange next time you’re  looking for the perfect piece!