AKIKUMA BROTHERS
AKIKUMA BROTHERS
The Kongolese Cowboys
"We are not only German, neither only African, we are both. We build a bridge between tradition and creativity".
The Akikuma brothers, with Congolese roots, born in Germany, grew up in an environment where people dressed outstandingly, individually and with pride. La Sape became their cultural imprint, their inheritance.
To the brothers, Sape first and foremost means "break the rules", it is the language of fashion rebels from the Congo. It is to value what you have, and to create the maximum with the minimun you got.
Already as young boys the brothers wore Doc Martins, Buffalos, and other brands unusual for kids. Their mom's passion for fashion and her love for her family has meant everything. Something they want to give back to her, while showing the world their most authentic selves.
"Even though we had such a caring and loving home, our upbringing wasn’t easy. Early on we were confronted with racism in school, in soccer clubs and in daily life. As a child you don’t understand racism. And no child is born a racist. It is something learned. The challenge of begin misunderstood in our childhood led the way to expressing our selves through fashion".
Tell us about the idea for your SoonNoon signature hat?
- The idea was to create something that truly reflects Akikuma and SoonNoon in the best possible way. We spent days brainstorming about what we wanted to showcase to the world. With the help of Jonathan, who expertly took our ideas and transformed them into our personal signature hat, we believe the result speaks for itself. We proudly present it as: "LES SAPEURS“.
What does the hat mean to you as an accessory?
- We love wearing accessories, and a hat truly completes an outfit, much like Superman's cape.
Why did you choose to collaborate with SoonNoon?
- We believe in intuition and timing. Everything aligned perfectly for us to try something new, and we are beyond happy to have SoonNoon as our partner for our first ever hat collaboration.
What trends do you see regarding the hat as an accessory?
- The hat is a key element of the dandy look, and it seems to be becoming more popular. However, it has come and gone over the years, but it has never really been entirely out of fashion. Like a classic car, a hat never goes out of style.
“We showed the world our most authentic selves.”
As Akikuma continued following their passion of expressing themselves through fashion, friends started to take pictures of them and they filmed the whole styling process at home and up-loaded it on Tumblr – this was around 2015. The resonance they got was overwhelming. When they were encouraged to use Instagram, things shifted to another level.
"The main struggle we had was being able to stay disciplined with our passion even on days where we felt unmotivated. On days like this we had to overcome and convince ourselves that we are able to do this. We had to continuously be open minded enough to change our own beliefs, habits and mindset to improve in every aspect of our life.
With all we do we are creating a new culture that is ultimately open-minded, judgment free, where people help one another out of love and dedication."
THE DEVIL IS IN THE DETAILS
Crafted to perfection, Les Sapeurs is a feast for the eyes and for your senses.
As a reinterpretation of the classic tear-drop fedora, Les Sapeurs has a 9 cm wide pencil curled brim. The deep brown wool felt has been sanded to a soft, almost velvety surface, and then set on fire to ensure the surface keeps smooth. Inside the hat an illustrated satin hat liner and branded leather sweatband provides superior comfort.
A wide grosgrain ribbon with a semi-bow, an organically shaped metal charm, and a braided waxed cotton string gives the hat a sophisticated flair, known for the true masters of La Sape.
