A Statement in Silk and Wool: The Sapeurs of the Congo

This episode takes a look at the vibrant and evocative members of La SAPE, the Society of Ambiance-Makers and Elegant People, or the Sapeurs. Set against the backdrop of Congo's colonial past and post-independence struggles, clothing is about much more than just being fashionable. For the Sapeur, fine tailoring, luxe fabrics, and bold patterns are expressions of identity, resistance, and pride. From the streets of Brazzaville and Kinshasa to the global stage, join us as we discuss how these impeccably dressed individuals challenge the legacy of colonialism, reclaim dignity, and redefine masculinity through the power of dress.

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RESOURCES:

Ali, Mona M. “The Incredible Fashion of the Ladies and Gentlemen of the Congo.” Vogue Scandinavia, September 20, 2021.
Aris, Gisele. The Power and Politics of Dress in Africa. Final project paper, University of Pennsylvania, 2007. Undergraduate Humanities Forum Mellon Research Fellow, Penn Humanities Forum on Travel.
Callsen, Barbara. "Fashion and Migration: On the Construction of Masculinities in the Sape Movement Between the Congo and France." In Masculinities and Migration in Latinx and Francophone Literatures and Cultures, edited by Brendan P. Bisbey and Adriana Herrera Fuentes. Cham: Palgrave Macmillan, 2025.
Guinness. Meet Congo's Sapeurs. YouTube video, 2:02. January 17, 2014. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iuGaRCPDl1c&t=50s.

Hochschild, Adam. King Leopold’s Ghost. New York: Mariner, 2020.
Jorgensen, K.E. “Sapologie: Performing Postcolonial Identity in the Democratic Repuplic of Congo”. Toronto, Ontario : Master of Arts Contemporary Art, Design and New Media Histories, 2014.
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Miller, Monica L. 2009. Slaves to Fashion: Black Dandyism and the Styling of Black Diasporic Identity. Durham: Duke University Press.
Porbeni, Beatrice. “The Congolese Dandies – A Piece of History.” Guardian Life, August 20, 2017.

Tamagni, Daniele. Sapeurs: The Gentlemen of Bacongo. London: Trolley Books, 2009.

Vainshtein, Olga. “13. Dandyism Revisited: From the English Gent to the Sapeur.” In Fashionable Masculinities: Queers, Pimp Daddies, and Lumbersexuals, edited by Vicki Karaminas, Adam Geczy, and Pamela Church Gibson, 177–191. Ithaca, NY: Rutgers University Press, 2022.

Zaidi, Tariq. Sapeurs: Ladies and Gentlemen of the Congo. Heidelberg: Kehrer Verlag, 2020.