They are fashionable, they are cool, they are the fashionable atmosphere group of the African continent

#我花花生活#War, poverty, famine, and disease are probably many people’s first impression of Africa.

However, in such a land, there is a group of black brothers who are addicted to fashion trends.

They would rather live in poverty, go without food or drink, or spend all their money on buying designer suits for themselves.

On the muddy and dirty streets, gentlemen’s fashion carnivals are often staged.

Elegant and crisp bright suit,

spotless mirror leather shoes,

carefully matched and sexy socks,

paired with a top hat , walking sticks and umbrellas, even the pleats of the pocket square are taken care of just right.

It forms a huge contrast with the surrounding mottled and dilapidated environment.

When passing by the vegetable market, you are immediately greeted with cheers and enthusiastic fans asking for autographs.

The big gold watch also looks particularly eye-catching.

If someone takes a photo, they will deliberately lift their clothes to reveal the brand tags inside.

The money spent on these items together is enough to buy a piece of land.

When you see this, you may think it is the shooting scene of a surreal fashion blockbuster, but it is actually a very real scene.

On the African continent, retro sophistication like the Jazz Age is lighting up, showing a fashion culture comparable to the Western world.

These gentlemen who seem to have traveled through time come from a magical organization called "La Sape" (the French abbreviation of the Association of Atmosphere Builders and Elegance), and they call themselves "Sapeur".

For a century, they have upheld the tradition of dignity and luxury, and regarded gentlemanly fashion as their belief.

This group of people treat the bustling streets as catwalks and the garbage on the ground as art installations. Regardless of the surrounding environment, they competently act as a fashion atmosphere group.

Welcome to Congo, a magical realist country.

White people invented clothes,

and we turned it into an art

First of all, we have to do some science.

There are two countries in Africa called "Congo", usually distinguished by the names of their capitals:

Congo-Kinshasa, Congo (Kinshasa), the Democratic Republic of the Congo* The Republic of Congo;

Congo-Brazzaville, Congo (Brazzaville), the Republic of Congo.

The two countries are separated by the Congo River, so Sapor's style has also developed in its own way.

This style of painting may seem uncomfortable at first glance, but if you study it carefully, you will find that these black brothers actually know how to dress well.

In Brazzaville, old school style formal wear is the standard look.

The art of balance is what Sapples love to emphasize.

The color matching rules are very clear, and the body's tones generally do not exceed three.

In addition to black, white and gray, they also like high-color palettes such as fluorescent green, sapphire blue, and bright orange.

When paired with bowler hats, walking sticks, pipes, handkerchiefs, umbrellas and other accessories, a unique African fashion atmosphere will come to you.

Sapour in Kinshasa doesn’t stick to formal attire, with everything from Japanese designer leather jackets to kilts.

Speaking of the Sapurs across the river, they clearly disagree with their fashion taste:

"Their clothes (referring to the Sapurs of Brazzaville) are very cheap. Ours (referring to Sapur in Kinshasa) are very expensive! They are like secretaries, but we are the bosses."

A qualified Sapur must pursue quality.

"I would rather buy second-hand genuine products than fake fakes" is the bottom line that must be adhered to.

Yves Saint Laurent, Versace, Christian Dior, Yohji Yamamoto, Jean Paul Gaultier, Alexander McQueen, Roberto Cavalli, Rei Kawakubo and other big brands are basic models, and the more sophisticated ones also have high-end styles.

In the 1990s, Chinese businessmen came to Congo with a large number of imitation brands, intending to make a fortune. Who would have thought that they would be mercilessly despised by the black brothers:

"We are REAL and will not buy your FAKE!"

This group of fashion trendsetters don't need the so-called right occasion, timing, or even weather to dress up. When the feeling comes, they will go out to have fun together. street.

They will battle each other to see whose uniform is more high-end, whose matching is more brilliant, whose pace is more devilish...

The Sapurs enjoy celebrity-like treatment. , every time he appears, there will be a group of people watching.

45-year-old Mabanza Maxim Pivot is a fashion veteran. After all, he has been studying how to dress himself since he was seven years old.

Now, he teaches the art of elegant dressing and is warmly welcomed by everyone.

His wife is always grateful: "So many girls are staring at him, but he chooses to have children with me."

Probably because the world we see is becoming more and more similar. , this corner of the world that has not been homogenized is so attractive.

Sapple was also filmed as a documentary:

The documentary "Congo Playboy" filmed by the Russian RT documentary channel

Became a source of inspiration for designers: < /p>

Japanese designer brand Junya Watanabe

The 2015 autumn and winter series uses La Sape style as the design theme

It also appears in the MVs of big-name European and American singers.

La Sape is continuously captured by the global pop culture radar and has become a presence that cannot be ignored.

Kendrick Lamar, the King of West Coast Rap

’s song “All The Stars”

“White people invented clothes, and we turned it into a Art."

Congolese musician Papa Wemba said this in an interview with Western media.

Don’t give up clothes,

This is our belief

These African gentlemen who are particularly willing to spend money to dress themselves are actually just like you and me.

Dad has no money, and the family has no mines.

They are engaged in the most basic jobs, such as taxi drivers, carpenters, workers, etc. They are all hardworking people who exchange time for money.

But as long as they have free time, they will dress up like playboys and go out on the street to enjoy the attention of everyone.

Not every piece of clothing is brand new.

The resourceful Sapors will *share and exchange wardrobes with each other, and also like to go to flea markets and second-hand stores to buy outfits.

If you look back at history, you will find that their extreme scrutiny of clothing is a culture inherited from generation to generation.

La Sape’s signature vintage style originates from the colonial period of the early 20th century, when France and Belgium split the Congo in two.

The colonists’ dress brought fashion enlightenment to Africans.

After all, this is what the Congolese looked like before the Europeans came.

They gradually realized that the function of clothes is not only to conceal shame and keep warm, but also its style and texture determine the outside world's view of a person.

In the years that followed, whether they were Congolese students who went to Europe to study or East African soldiers who returned to their homeland from World War II, they could be said to be the first pioneers in Africa to accept the baptism of European fashion. Exquisite suit image shows off.

In this context, wearing Western clothing has become a "sign of civilization", and many local Congolese are proud of their ability to follow European fashions.

Even this style of wearing is completely inappropriate for hot weather.

By the 1960s, La Sape was no longer just a fashion; this suit was a symbol of resistance.

At that time, there was a coup in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The new government banned people from wearing Western clothes, and the Sapurs were severely beaten as a result.

"Don't throw your clothes on the ground, it's like throwing your money outside", "Don't throw your clothes away, this is what we believe in" sang Papa Wemba, and he is "Sapor" An active promoter of the movement.

Not only did he wear a suit when performing, he also advocated everyone to join the ranks of elegant dress. Under the call of his idol, young people also took to the streets to resist the government and promote the concept of freedom and peace.

Eventually, the Congolese government relaxed the ban.

A group of revolutionaries in suits won.

Brazzaville in 1960

Our clothes are too expensive,

It can be seen that there is no blood

In a crowded and small room , a Sapor dragged out a box from under the bed, which contained all his precious leather shoes. < /p>

"If I didn't buy these shoes, I could have bought a piece of land near here."

"But as a respected Sapor, for my honor , I have to buy it for my dignity."

Sounds like a crazy fashion player who has fallen into the trap of consumerism.

In this poorest land in the world, there are more than 6,000 Sapples like him. To them, nothing is more important than beautiful clothes.

According to statistics in 2019, the per capita GDP of Congo (Brazzaville) is only just over 2,000 US dollars, and the per capita GDP of Congo (Kinshasa) is even worse, only more than 500 US dollars.

You have every reason to question the need to spend your savings on equipment, pipes and hats in an economy where half the population still struggles below the poverty line, but for Sape, La Sape It was never just a game of dressing, it was like the medicine a person with an incurable disease had to take.

This group of "upper-class gentlemen" in the slums has brought a glimmer of hope to a country full of wars, violent conflicts and political turmoil. At the same time, it is also a way to express their resistance to this bad world.

The more miserable the world is, the more beautiful clothes are needed to ferry people away and forget the hardships in life.

Even if you are in a harsh and cruel living environment, you still try your best to maintain your dignity.

Sapors value their gentlemanly character more than their dashing appearance.

"Our clothes are too expensive, so it shows that there is no blood."

They shoulder social responsibilities, use clothes instead of fists, and influence and infect others through their words and deeds.

Local government official Alain Akouala Atipault, who is also a Sapour, said in an interview:

"Sapour brings peace and tranquility to everyone." < /p>

The "Sap Flower" that blooms from the muddy soil is a kind of spiritual sustenance and a unique secret for the Congolese people to gain dignity and happiness through generations.

One Sapor was very adamant about this:

"My parents dressed like this, my brothers and I. My children, and even my grandchildren, will Such an elegant person.

My father also lived in Paris, and of course he eventually returned to Congo. I longed for that kind of life, refined and elegant.

Yes. , Congo is very bad now, and it is difficult for me to ask the country to change anything, but I can choose who I am."

There are a group of people here who are strutting and dancing.

During rush hour, cars on the road cannot move. People were watching as they walked. From the stalls on the street, some people craned their necks to look. A child who was playing football stopped and screamed happily.

Within minutes a crowd had gathered.

Someone hummed, "We love Sapur."

Even not far away, armed conflicts and ethnic violence continued, and a large number of civilians were displaced.

Even at this moment, malaria, HIV, Ebola and other diseases that cause pain and death still exist.

Those are the facts. But all this happening before our eyes is also true.

Far away in the Congo on the African continent, a group of well-dressed gentlemen smiled and waved to the crowd, fighting a war in the name of clothing.

These people, who have their feet in the mud but still look up to the stars, are using fashion to lead their country towards a more promising future.