Recently, the La Sape community in the Republic of the Congo, Central Africa has gone viral, especially in the world. This community is known for their extreme life choices, they are willing to live in poverty as long as they can look elegant and fashionable.
With his quirky style, La Sape was once lined up to be a model for a click video belonging to American rapper Kendrick Lama, entitled All The Star, which was released in 2018.
The video clip uploaded to Kendrick Lama's YouTube account has been viewed more than 346 million. The song All The Stars itself is one of the soundtracks of the Marvel movie 'Black Panther'.
In the clip, Kendrick hooks up with SZA, who is also his collaborator. The video, directed by Dave Meyers, is inspired by life in Africa. Kendrick Lamar sails over thousands of people.
In their first minute, La Sape is highlighted, which displays luxuriously dressed in suits and dresses and accessories such as sunglasses and large rings that look classy but are a stark contrast because they are in shabby and dirty houses. La Sape itself only appears about 42 seconds.
In another scene, he is seen walking through a dead forest covered in snow. Not alone, a herd of panthers accompanied the rapper's steps. Now, it's SZA's turn to take over. He danced among hundreds of shining stars.
To note, La Sape itself stands for Société des ambianceurs et des personnes elegantes or Society of Atmosphere-setters and Elegant People. People who adhere to this lifestyle are called sapeurs (or sapeuses for women).
La Sape members do not want to use counterfeit goods. With a mediocre income, they save little by little until they have enough money to buy the suit they want.
"They'd rather spend $100-200 on a shirt than save to buy a house or a car or a motorbike," says Tariq Zaidi, author of Sapeurs: Ladies and Gentlemen of the Congo.