2. • Les Sapeurs a group of men devoted to flamboyantly dressing in the latest high
fashions
• (Society for the Advancement of People of Elegance) from the French (La Societé
des Ambianceurs et des Personnes Élégantes ) ”.
• The “Sape” began when Congo was a French colony. Many Congolese people were
fascinated with French elegance and decided to imitate the French look, a style
which was further developed during the transition to independence.
• The movement started in the 1970s and can be traced as an act of rebellion
against the communist dictator Mubutu who curtailed European imports in favour
of traditional African garb.
• The “Sape” is an art and the real gentleman have to know the concept of
gentleness and good manners related to the inherent moral code of the individual.
as a way of being.
.
•
3. • The region gained independence in the but a bloody civil war plunged the country
in to chaos.
• This chaos and ensuing civil war only heighten the role of the SAPE in Congolese
society. The “Sape” by definition is a non violent individual. The “Sape” is an art
and the real gentleman have to know the concept of gentleness and good
manners related to the inherent moral code of the individual. as a way of being
• With the average wage in Congo being as little as 0.30p a day the expensive
European clothing could set a SAPE back 6 months wages. However they aspire
they have high Aspiration and use fashion as a means of escapism from the hard
life that they are in
4. In relation to the rule of thirds what is the focal point of this picture
5. How could the framing in this picture be change to
create more of an impact
6. How does this picture represent the cultural struggles of the Congo and the
Sape role in that struggle
7. How does the photographer create a sense of authority and
respect in this image
8.
9. The image could be a
representation of the
emergence of a new
nation and the role the
Sape played in that can
you see why
