From third spaces to storytelling: The blueprint for community building

“Community” may be a buzzy word for brands, but many struggle to define it. Every brand wants one, but few can explain what it truly takes to build it. A Business of Fashion study found that while 70% of marketing leaders list community as a priority, only 18% feel confident they have a strategy to support it. That gap is telling. Community is something people choose. And they choose it when their time feels well spent — when spending time with a brand feels meaningful and not transactional. We’re seeing brands attempt to architect this through what has become known as third (and now fourth) spaces: places beyond home, beyond work, and beyond the traditional notion of retail. Places that exist not just to sell, but to gather people and make them feel part of something bigger than themselves. Rapha offers a perfect example. At face value, it’s a cycling brand. But ask anyone inside the ecosystem, and they’ll tell you it’s a club, a ritual, a world. Through weekly rides, member hubs, travel itineraries, and micro-communities by neighborhood, Rapha has built something that feels more like belonging than branding. Across luxury, the shift is clear. Brands aren’t just competing for purchases; they’re competing for time, attention, and emotional connection. The ones that endure will be those that can answer a simple but revealing question: Why would someone choose to spend time with us, and why would they return? Becoming a third space One thing about community is that it forms in places where people naturally want to spend their time. A true community has its own gravity. It’s where your friends are, where your routines live, and where your day feels familiar. Brands are realizing the power in this. If you give people a reason to keep coming back, you create an emotional footprint. Not a transaction, but a memory. And memory is a currency that has staying power. That’s why we’re seeing brands lean into the idea of a third space. They’re expanding retail space beyond commerce by launching new brand extensions or using collaborations to create environments consumers want to spend time in. It’s an unhurried, high-touch model meant to build relationships by occupying time. Alo Yoga has nailed this concept. With studios, recovery lounges, and wellness offerings, it has built an ecosystem rooted in routine. The brand understands that a modern community needs to support the cadence of its customers’ day, not just their single purchase. Alo’s physical hubs drive some of the longest dwell times in the athleisure category, and its expansion into wellness tech and event programming, such as its weeklong “Alo House” festival, transforms fitness into identity. The story is the social glue When brands share their process, people stop watching and start belonging. Transparency and education can turn curiosity into loyalty. When learning sparks a desire to participate, you’ve discovered the foundation of a true community. A Vogue Business review of 60 luxury brands found that purchase intent rose by 4.2% in the first half of 2025, largely driven by stronger storytelling and deeper emotional resonance. In other words, people are gravitating toward brands they feel connected to, not just the ones that look good on a shelf. Goop is a strong example. It started out as a newsletter and grew into a universe. Founder Gwyneth Paltrow doesn’t pretend to be an authority. She narrates her curiosity in real time — what she’s trying, what she’s learning, what she loves and why. It’s honest and real. The podcast, recipes, articles, in-person events, and retreats all work to make the audience feel like a part of the conversation. She’s the face of the brand, but in her own authentic way. The lesson for luxury is that storytelling only works when it’s sincere. If it’s too curated, people feel it. If it’s personal, they remember it. The Row takes a different approach. The hand finishes, the architectural cuts — that’s the story. It’s fed by an “if you know, you know” sensibility. The Olsen twins rarely speak publicly, yet their community feels deeply connected because the details speak for them. When you see someone wearing The Row, you instantly understand that they value restraint, quality, and nuance. The brand becomes a shared code between strangers, a silent form of recognition. These examples illustrate why careful storytelling is so important to building a community. Not everyone needs to belong, and not everyone should belong. Coherence in consistency Consistency is the thread that keeps a community intact. It helps brands stay rooted in their codes, values, and emotional territory. When a brand shows restraint and intention, it makes activations meaningful instead of random. This is where so many brands go wrong. A pop-up for pop-up’s sake. A collaboration that doesn’t match the brand’s DNA. A moment built for engagement rather than connection. Consistency is what turns noise into coherence. Lebanese-Brazilian fine jewelry designer Nadine Ghosn nails this. Rooted in playful nostalgia, her jewelry label transforms childhood memories into luxury items through its collaborations. With Crayola, it created a limited-edition redesign of the packaging, and now, with Polly Pocket, it has launched a collection inspired by the dolls. None of these moves feel opportunistic because they express the same emotional idea: childhood objects made precious. The more the brand sticks to this lane, the more clearly the community understands its values. British luxury accessories designer Anya Hindmarch offers another example of how consistency pays off. Her eponymous accessories brand has spent years cultivating a community around wit, personalization, and British charm. Her Anya Village in London has micro-stores dedicated to everything from labeling to ice cream, creating a neighborhood of playful experiences. Projects like Anya Mart, a limited-time retro concept store, and Anya Café maintain the same whimsical tone. Because she has shown her audience the same character again and again, people know what to expect. They choose her because they recognize her. And recognition is one of the deepest forms of belonging. So what? Ultimately, community is not something a brand can buy or announce. It forms quietly, through rhythm and repetition, through spaces people want to linger in and stories that feel honest enough to remember. It’s built in the unhurried moments where someone feels seen rather than targeted, welcomed rather than managed. If a brand disappeared tomorrow and nothing felt missing, it never had a community. A real community leaves an imprint and creates memories. It lingers. For brands that want to build one, the work is slow. It requires consistency, restraint, and the courage to create something that grows over time rather than overnight. In the end, one measure matters more than any metric. How do you make a meaningful memory that keeps people coming back? Carlotta Rodben is a luxury innovation specialist and author of “Beyond Luxury: The Promise of Emotion.” She previously led innovation at Chanel and now advises luxury brands on strategy and transformation.

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From third spaces to storytelling: The blueprint for community building