Louis Vuitton, Pharrell Ask Judge to Toss Coogi Suit, Say Brand Is Trying to “Monopolize an Aesthetic”

Louis Vuitton and men’s creative director Pharrell Williams have moved to dismiss Coogi’s copyright and trade-dress lawsuit, arguing the Australian knitwear label is seeking exclusive control over a “vague” look rather than a protectable design.

In an Oct. 17 filing in Manhattan federal court, their attorneys contend Coogi is attempting to “monopolize an aesthetic,” adding, “you cannot infringe a style—whether through copyright or trade dress.”

Coogi sued in May in the Southern District of New York, alleging that pieces from Louis Vuitton’s Fall/Winter 2025 menswear collection copied its iconic, highly textured multicolored knits, including elements tied to a 2014 sweater collaboration with Rag & Bone, and that consumers would associate the Vuitton garments with Coogi.

The case names Louis Vuitton entities, Pharrell Williams and collaborator Tomoaki Nagao (Nigo) as defendants.

In their motion, Louis Vuitton and Pharrell Williams say Coogi has not identified a specific copyrighted work that was copied, nor plausibly alleged secondary meaning or likelihood of confusion for trade dress.

They also emphasize visual differences between Vuitton’s runway knits and Coogi’s more organic, asymmetrical patterns popularized in 1990s hip-hop, calling media chatter about “Coogi-inspired” sweaters legally irrelevant. “There is no monopoly on multicolored sweaters,” the brief states.

The court has not yet ruled on the dismissal bid. The docket shows the case—Coogi Partners LLC v. Williams et al., No. 1:25-cv-03837—has proceeded through initial scheduling and appearances this summer.