The JMAKxPARIS Designer Says The Democratic Republic Of Congo’s Pre-Match Fits Were Rooted In Culture, Ambition And La Sape
After more than five decades away from the World Cup stage, the Democratic Republic of Congo made its return dressed like a team that had no plans of being ignored.
When the 26-member squad arrived in Houston on Thursday, June 11, the Leopards stepped off in coordinated black suits with velvet leopard-print lapel collars, matching leopard lapel pins and custom leopard-print travel bags. The look quickly made its rounds online, turning the team’s pre-match arrival into one of the tournament’s early fashion moments.
Actress Taraji P. Henson captured the mood under one post highlighting the arrivals’ style, writing, “WE SO MF’N FLY!!!!!!!”
Behind the viral fits is Alvin Junior Mak, founder and creative director of JMAKxPARIS, who designed the looks as more than a polished travel uniform. The collection was built as a tribute to Congolese culture, the country’s legendary 1974 Leopards squad and the influence of La Sape, one of the continent’s most recognizable fashion movements.
Mak, who was born in the Democratic Republic of Congo and raised in Paris, said the overall look needed to reflect “that of a generation that dares to dream big and believes in its country’s potential.”
That mission is visible throughout the design. The suits are sharp, formal and modern, but the details are unmistakably tied to Congolese identity. The leopard print nods to the national team’s name and to a symbol long associated with strength, power and identity across Congolese communities.
Mak said he chose black silk crepe for the suits because he associates the color with resilience, determination and ambition. The velvet leopard-print lapel collar became the visual centerpiece, giving the outfit a balance of official polish and cultural presence.
“It was important to choose this silhouette while making sure it respects institutional attire and modern creativity,” Mak said.
La Sape’s Influence Runs Through The Leopards’ World Cup Style
The collection also pulls from La Sape, short for Société des Ambianceurs et des Personnes Élégantes, or the Society of Ambiance-Makers and Elegant People.
Rooted in the neighboring Congolese capitals of Kinshasa and Brazzaville, La Sape is more than fashion. The movement is defined by elegance, self-expression and careful attention to dress, but it also carries a deeper message about dignity, pride and aspiration.
“Beyond sartorial elegance, I believe that Sape embodies above all a state of mind. Sape was a movement born in a working-class setting,” Mak explained. “It’s first and foremost a movement of humble people. What I’ve always loved about sape is the mindset that these people carry. They are people who don’t have much, but who fight to have beautiful things.”
That idea became the foundation of the Leopards’ arrival looks. For Mak, the clothing was not just about style. It was about communicating ambition, possibility and national pride on one of the biggest stages in sports.
“It shows that it’s possible to rise through ambition, even if you come from a poor, humble or wealthy background,” he said.
He added, “It’s very important to have this mindset that we are capable of anything. You just need ambition and determination.”
The Leopards’ Arrival Became A Statement Before Kickoff
JMAKxPARIS described the ensemble as a look rooted in memory, culture and collective ambition.
“Elegance is a way of wearing one’s history. For the 2026 World Cup, JMAKxPARIS had the immense honor of outfitting the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s ‘Leopards’ with a look inspired by our heritage, our culture, and our collective ambition,” the fashion house wrote on Instagram. “Now, it is time to take the field. A nation behind them, a dream ahead of them. May this World Cup live up to the ambitions they carry.”
The Democratic Republic of Congo is returning to the World Cup after a 52-year absence, having last appeared in the tournament in 1974 as Zaire. That history gave the team’s arrival an added weight. The players were not only stepping into a tournament; they were stepping into a moment generations of fans had waited to see.
Their first match is scheduled for Wednesday, June 17, against Portugal at NRG Stadium in Houston.
