A new photo book by Daniele Tamagni explores the phenomenon of sapeurs, a clique of extraordinarily dressed dandies from the Congo. In the midst of war and abject poverty, these men dress in tailored suits, silk ties, and immaculate footwear.
That from Jezebel, the mongo “celebrity, sex, fashion” blog, which manages to be uncommonly introspective:
It’s hard to know how to read this particular trend: is this a post-colonial pastiche of the oppressors’ style of dress? Or an example of a subjugated and still impoverished people hoodwinked into spending untold sums on European labels?
See the full, somewhat nauseating post.
Old news: See “In the Foorsteps of Mr. Kurtz”, Michaela Wrong.
That was a good chapter in that book. Nice to see some pictures of these guys.
Thanks. This is one of the most intriguing discussions I’ve seen in a long time. I found the comments in particular very interesting.
the same thing in South Africa: Swenkas
http://www.viceland.com/int/v14n5/htdocs/swank.php