Alvin Mak traveled to Houston to witness the Democratic Republic of Congo's return to the World Cup after 52 years. The team earned its first-ever goal in a 1-1 draw against Portugal. Mak designed the squad's signature leopard-print suits for the tournament.
The Congolese players arrived in Texas last week wearing black suits with silver leopard brooches and animal-print panels created by the 30-year-old Paris-based designer. Mak, who moved from Congo to France at age 11, attended the match among Congolese supporters.
Yoane Wissa scored the historic equalizer. The squad is scheduled to play Colombia next week. Mak said the leopard motif represents power and resilience in Congolese culture and draws from the La Sape tailoring tradition.
He produced the 55 outfits with help from artisans in Congo. Mak has now opened orders for the suits and matching star-shaped bags on his website, receiving more than 100 requests so far. He plans to expand production while keeping most artisanal work in Congo.
Mak, whose first trip to the United States coincided with the match, said football has remained part of his life through the project.
