‘Forward ever, backward never’ is the slogan for the new merch created by Jamaican sibling duo Etienne and Ivy Coco Maurice in partnership with Swiss performance running shoes and clothing brand ON.
The collection was an ode to their late grandmother Ivy Ralph, who was also a pioneer in menswear fashion locally.
‘The WalkGood x On collection has been carefully crafted for your own unique journey’, reads a statement from the Instagram feed post.
Also in the statement were notes on the inspirational Jamaican proverb, ‘Forward Ever, Backward Never’, notes on the origins and symbolism of the collab.
‘From Jamaica to LA to Philly, WalkGood is a family-led community organization all about bringing people together from all walks of life. We teamed up with @walkgoodla to spread the spirit of ‘Walk Good’ – the Jamaican phrase encouraging safe travels, good fortune, and ‘take care’.
The collection drops tomorrow, April 25th, and includes head-to-heel apparel like the Cloudrunner 2 WalkGood shoe, bright yellow T-shirts with the ‘walk good’ slogan on the back, and the black athletic shorts with red lace, and ‘walk good’ logo.
According to a post on their Instagram page, the partnership represents a collection ‘where Swiss engineering meets Jamaican joy in every stitch’.
The Maurice duo coordinated a team of local talent for the project, too, that includes graphic designer Acquille Dunkley, photographer Ackime Snow, and singers Naomi Cowan and Runkus.
WalkGood LA was formed in June 2020 during the Black Lives Matter movement at the early onset of the the COVID-19 pandemic.
What began as a few minutes of breath work and yoga meditation before members protested police brutality, turned into a safe space for the community to heal in hard times.
With the immensely positive response and unwavering support from the community, the Walk Good LA team quickly turned the momentum into a movement.
