La Sape which is viral on social media is a subculture and lifestyle originating from the Republic of the Congo, Africa, where its followers are fashion lovers who are willing to live in poverty as long as they can look fashionable.
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).
According to Tariq Zaidi, author of Sapeurs: Ladies and Gentlemen of the Congo, a Sapeur is willing to save for years to raise up to USD 2,000 which is then used to buy a trendy suit designed by a famous designer.
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," said Zaidi, in an interview with Vogue Scandinavia.
Their priority is not economic stability, but looking trendy, and if possible becoming a trend-setter in their community.
The Sapeurs also change clothes frequently. If one person has a Chanel tie and the other a Dior shirt, they can swap or borrow each other's clothes for free.
La Sape is a growing movement, where young people use fashion as a way to navigate their nation's journey, from a developing country to a cosmopolitan country full of hope for the future.
Although La Sape culture has traditionally been passed down through the male line, many Congolese women have recently started wearing designer suits and becoming Sapeus.
What is the motivation behind this lifestyle? According to Zaidi, La Sape is considered a 'religion' by many of his followers. They don't need to have any special motivation to be Sapeur or Sapeus.
"I heard from some Sapeurs too that this is a lifestyle: some people love football, others like Sape. There are Sapeur specialty bars and clubs in every district, and there are Sapeur groupings in the neighborhood. There is also friendly competition, which encourages Sapeurs to come up with a more attractive and unique design," he explained.
