The Stylish Sapeur Movement – 5 Deeper Insights
Congo’s stylish sapeur movement goes beyond fashion – 5 deeper insights.
In the two Congos, there’s a cultural movement by the Society of Ambience-Makers and Elegant People (Sape), known as “sapeurs”, who blend fashion, culture and social resistance. Though it was rooted primarily in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and the Republic of Congo, the movement is now spreading worldwide, through Congolese migration.
As a researcher, I have studied Sape in its cultural, social and symbolic dimensions.
Sape is far more than a fashion trend. Here are five key things to know about this movement.
1. The history of Sape
Sape emerged during the colonial era, first in Brazzaville and later in Leopoldville (now Kinshasa), when young Congolese began adopting and reinterpreting ...