There was a time when the Society of Tastemakers and Elegant People (or Societe des Ambianceurs et des Personnes Elegantes in the original French, or SAPE for short) were the epitome of an underground subculture. In the Democratic Republic of Congo, the sapeurs, as they call themselves, could swagger down the streets of Kinshasa in three-piece couture suits and crocodile loafers, unmolested by the attention of the outside world. Now sapeurs have starred in documentarie, Guinness adverts, and even upstaged Beyonce's baby sister in her "Losing You" music video.
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It's easy to see why the world fell in love with them. The stylish set of blue-collar workers who devote their time and money to dressing like a million dollars isn't just a feel-good story in one of the poorest countries in Africa—it epitomizes the transformative power of fashion. But the Society of Tastemakers and Elegant People has also been a very male-dominated organization—until recently, that is.In 2011, photographer Junior D. Kannah was photographing sapeurs at the Kinshasa cemetary of La Gombe on February 10, the official Day of the Sape. "The date marks the death of the founder of the Kitendi (or clothing) religion, Stervos Niarcos, who died 20 years ago in Paris and was renowned as the founder of modern sapeurism," he explains.
Every year, sapeurs congregate in their finest outfits to pay their respects to the Niarcos—also known as "the Pope"—at his grave. That's when Kannah spotted her: "I saw a single female sapeuse among many men, dressed in a shirt and black trousers and holding tailored jackets in her hand, shouting, hopping and strutting. Her courage and her looks attracted me… This was my first shot of the Queen of Sape, Mama Afrika."Read more: The Long, Strange History of Women Wearing Deadly Clothing
Kannah went on to photograph the small but ever-growing sapeuse community in Kinshasa, and those images now form the basis for Lady Dandies of the Democratic Republic of Congo, an upcoming book and exhibition at London's Brunei Gallery. With nicknames like Queen of Uprising and Princesse de la Sape, their clothes—and their characters—are larger than life. It's in strict contrast to the criticism they sometimes endure on the streets. On one photoshoot, Kannah remembers, someone told him: "Women should engage in trade to supplement the needs of families rather than wallowing in the street like rogues."
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He estimates that there is about one woman for every five sapeurs, but the number of sapeuses is on the rise "thanks to the growing confidence of Congolese women and changing attitudes in Congolese society.""I think their style is quite extraordinary and beautiful," he says. "I see it as an expression of a yearning for individual identity that we see everywhere in the world. For sapeuses their method of exploring this identity is in their unique style of dress. They choose designers who are avant-garde or brutal: Rei Kawakubo, Versace, Roberto Cavalli, Alexander McQueen…"In some ways," he adds, "this is expanding the boundaries of African in a fusion with the West, and in other ways it is a new African culture: It's a source of pride for Congolese youth."
Inda "The Minor" Gabie, 51, stallholder
Musa "'Princesse de la Sape" Umpalaba, 30, student seamstress
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