"I want to look good and feel good in the clothes I wear."
Photography by James Branaman. Goapele pictured wearing the Emma dress.
Last week, we spent a great day with American soul and R&B singer/songwriter Goapele (pronounced gwa-puh-lay), which means “to move forward” in Setswana, a South African dialect. We laughed, ate avocado toast, hung out in the sunny hills of Mt. Washington, Los Angeles and took some beautiful photos of Goapele in her favorite pieces from the spring ’17 collection.
If you don’t know her already, Goapele is the real deal: an inspiring female force with a beauty that radiates from her heart out. With her infectious smile and intrinsic authenticity, she epitomizes the Sugar Candy Mountain woman. Follow your heart and reach for your dreams because, great things happen when women and mountains meet!
SCM: What was it like growing up in Oakland, CA?
Goapele: Growing up in Berkeley and Oakland gave me a balance of culture, the inner city reality and nature. There is a great sense of community in The Bay.
SCM: What inspires you?
Goapele: The gap between reality and the changes necessary inspire me. The possibility of transformation inspires me. Love inspires me.
SCM: Why is community important to you?
Goapele: My blood family has always been spread across the continents so for me a sense of community is like having a broad sense of family. There is strength in numbers and I've seen change and progress from people coming together, supporting each other and organizing.
SCM: What’s important to you when it comes to buying clothes and getting dressed?
Goapele: Comfort and self expression are what I look for. I want to look good and feel good in the clothes I wear.
Check out Goapele’s website for music and upcoming tour dates!