Vivienne Westwood lawsuit dismissed in copyright fight with graffiti artists
It was not disclosed whether any financial settlement was reached.
Law and Crime
A lawsuit accusing fashion house Vivienne Westwood of copying the tags of three British graffiti artists onto clothing has been dismissed after both sides agreed to end the case, according to federal court records.
The case was terminated April 30 in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles, with all claims dismissed with prejudice, meaning it cannot be filed again. Court records show both sides agreed to cover their own legal costs.
It was not disclosed whether any financial settlement was reached or what prompted the agreement to dismiss the case.
The lawsuit was originally filed in February 2025 by three street artists — Cole Smith, Reece Deardon and Harry Matthews, who work under the names DISA, SNOK and RENNEE — and was assigned to U.S. District Judge Consuelo B. Marshall.
Paid subscribers can read the full court documents.
Court Documents: Smith et al. v. Vivienne Westwood
Records from U.S. District Court for the Central District of California
Adam Schrader
In their complaint, the artists accused Vivienne Westwood and related companies of reproducing their tags on clothing without permission, incorporating the designs into shirts, pants and other items sold online.
The artists said their stylized names function as both artwork and identifiers within street art culture and alleged the designs were copied and used as part of a broader “graffiti” pattern on clothing.
The lawsuit, which sought damages and other relief, claimed the use created a false impression that the artists were affiliated with or endorsed the brand, allowing the company to trade on their reputations.
Images included in the complaint compared the artists’ original tags with designs appearing on garments, highlighting what the artists described as direct visual similarities.
The case named Vivienne Westwood Limited, along with related corporate entities and online retailers Farfetch and Lyst, as defendants. Court records show some defendants were dismissed earlier in the case, including Farfetch and Lyst, in November.
The lawsuit also raised procedural questions, as it involved U.K.-based artists suing a British fashion house in a California federal court.
The artists asserted jurisdiction based on Vivienne Westwood’s Los Angeles flagship store, U.S. headquarters, and sales of the allegedly infringing garments in California. But the case was dismissed before jurisdictional arguments could be tested.
The dispute was still in its early stages and had been scheduled for discovery and potential trial in 2027 before the dismissal.
The case is one of several disputes in recent years involving the use of graffiti and street art imagery in fashion, as designers increasingly draw on urban aesthetics for commercial collections.
Follow along with other lawsuits at Urgent Matter's art lawsuit tracker.
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