Congolese dandies, or sapeurs as they are known, have gained a global reputation for their flamboyant fashion style. But Barbara Yves, a resident of the Democratic Republic of Congo’s capital Kinshasa, says you do not have to be a man to join the Society of Ambience-Makers and Elegant People.
Being a dandy, she says, is in her blood. She says: “At the beginning, they laughed at us. They said we were out of our minds.” Now she feels so accepted that, “even the children follow me”.