When the Congolese national team arrived in Houston for the World Cup, they immediately went viral. Yes, many were excited to see Congo represented in the tournament for the first time since 1974, but the Internet was more excited about the players’ outfits. The team deplaned in tailored suits decorated with leopard sashes that sat asymmetrically across their torso, and matching leopard bags in tow. The looks were courtesy of Alvin Mak, a Congolese designer based in Paris, who got the design job after he cold emailed the Ministry of Sports in Congo with his idea.
The design is based on the Congolese idea of La Sape, or La Société des Ambianceurs et des Personnes Élégantes, a sort of dandyism popular in the country. The choice of leopard was obvious for Mak, as the Congo team is known as Les Léopards. But it has struck a chord with people far beyond the African country. Mak told the New York Times that many have asked about purchasing the suits and bags, and he plans to offer them up for pre-order on his website soon.
