The Gentlemen of Bakongo
The gentlemen of Bakongo is a book put together by Italian art historian and freelance photgrapher, Daniele Tamagni. The book features what Fader.com calles "the sartorially superior breed of man known as the sapeur."
This style of fashion was founded by rumba singer Papa Wemba in Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo) as an answer to President Mobutu's ban on western styled suits, he also founded Le SAPE (Society of Ambianceurs and Persons of Elegance).
The best way to describe Sapeur is a clean, sharp, sophisticated, eclectic but dapper and often-times colorful style of dress. I imagine this is like the Harlem Renaissance on steroids. This is how Dylon Jones of the Gaurdian describes it:
"As with all dress, the Sapeur style is a form of self-aggrandisement, the cult of appearance. To them, to be well-dressed is to be successful, which is not just the essence of bling, it is a cri de coeur. But they do look extraordinary. They wouldn't look out of place strolling down Savile Row, resplendent in their multicoloured finery, carrying canes and cigars, putting one white buckskin loafer in front of the other and smiling as though they haven't a care in the world."
The Gentlemen of Bakongo hits bookstores in London this week. Check it out right here.
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