I see that Guinness have co-opted Congo’s Sapeurs for their latest TV ad. Dandies dressed to the nines, Sapeurs are a street style dream. The name derives from La Societé des Ambianceurs et des Personnes Élégantes, La Sape, which emerged in Congo as a civil disobedience sub-culture. The Society has strict rules governing everything from how to walk to show off clothes to their best advantage to the maximum number of colours that can be worn in one outfit. There are regular dress-offs too.

Solange featured Sapeurs in her ‘Losing You’ video. Both her video and the Guinness ad were filmed in South Africa though apparently they both feature real Congolese Sapeurs.

Africa and Guinness have had a long association – it has been sold there since 1827 and Nigeria is the world’s second biggest market for the brand.

In any case elegance is always worth celebrating in my books so cheers to Guinness!