December 29th, 2009 | Posted in: books, photography
Photographer Daniele Tamagni has created a must have book: Gentlemen of Bacongo. The book is an amazing document about Le Sape.
Le Sape is a movement in West-Africa in which men (and a few women) dress in flamboyant designer and handmade suits and other luxury items. Le Sape short for Société des Ambianceurs et des Personnes Élégantes, or the Society of Tastemakers and Elegant People. A club we all would like to be part of, don’t we? Le Sape combines French styles from their colonial roots and the individual’s style (which is where the flamboyancy comes in). Le Sapeurs, as these African dandies are called, wear pink suits and D&G belts while living in the slums of this coastal African region.
Through this book Tamagni has created a great insight into this fascinating world of extremes. These guys take a love for fashion to the next level, as this quote illustrates: “A Congolese sapeur is a happy man even if he does not eat, because wearing proper clothes feeds the soul and gives pleasure to the body.”
As I said, a must have! Gentlemen of Bacongo is available through Amazon for $39,99.
tags: bacongo, book, club, congo, dandies, dandy, Daniele Tamagni, dress up, flamboyant, le sape, photography, poverty, sapeur, slums, Société des Ambianceurs et des Personnes Élégantes, Society of Tastemakers and Elegant People, style, suits, west africa
September 23rd, 2009 | Posted in: fashion
After Outlier launched their great line of apparel for the fashion conscious male cyclist, of course it was just a matter of time before the ladies would catch up. Meet Cyclodelic. Created by cycling enthusiast Amy Fleuriot and her friend Sarah Buck, a former bike courier.
Both design grads, the London duo combine their knowledge of fashion and textiles to create a clever line of functional accessories for the stylish cyclist. These accessories will be complemented with a line of apparel next month, which will feature a line of cashmere sweaters and waterproof cycling jackets.. Their products combine functional design elements with a pop-meets-glam look.
The Cyclodelic line is available online from Tokyo Fixed Gear or at select bike shops around London, as well as at Topshop there.
tags: accessories, amy fleuriot, apparel, cyclodelic, design, fashion, fixed gear, jackets, ladies, outlier, sarah buck, style, sweater, tokio fixed gear, women
