7.Sapeurs
Where: Congo
When: 1930
Created from a need of native population to prove to their white colonial masters that they are in no sense inferior, La Sape movement was centered in Kinshasa and Brazzaville. The name came from the acronym, meaning Société des Ambianceurs et des Personnes Élégantes (The Society of Ambiance-Makers and Elegant People) and members of the group became known as Sapeurs. Sapeurs subculture emphasized elegant dress code, based on European Dandies. The flamboyant dressing united people with different backgrounds, a rare thing among the subcultures around the world. Many musicians, like Papa Wembe, have been ardent supporters of the movement. Post-independence wars have put a damper on the subculture, but in recent year a revival has started, based in Brazzaville.
