The Republic of Congo’s strikingly stylish “sapeurs” strut the streets of Brazzaville looking as they’ve just stepped out of the pages of Vogue Hommes. These delightfully dapper men are adherents of a fashion subculture known as La Sape, which stands for the Societé des Ambianceurs et des Personnes Elegantes (Society of Poseurs and Elegant People).
From Valentino suits to silk socks, and J.M. Weston brogues and Dior ties, sapeurs – and the women known as sapeuse – not only know their labels, but how to wear them. As Papa Wemba, the late Congolese rhumba singer and fashion icon who popularized La Sape, put it: “White people invented the clothes, but we make an art of it.” The sapeurs’ spectacular outfits are made all the more extraordinary by their defiance of circumstance: The Congo is one of the poorest countries in the world, with most people living on around $2 per day. Many acquire their clothes by saving for years, then choosing to buy a designer suit over a house or a car. Fake labels are frowned upon.
The movement is a counterbalance to years of civil war and chaos. In 2014’s Sapeurs, A Short Documentary, 62-year-old retired forester Severin Mouyengo explains, “I don’t see how a person dressed as a sapeur could be violent or fight. Peace is really important for the Sape.” Now, thanks to photographer Tariq Zaidi’s book Sapeurs: Ladies and Gentlemen of the Congo, you too can experience their joyful and uplifting style. —Antonia Whyatt