Rare vintage CUGGI wool sweater — from the original era before CUGGI became COOGI.

A great piece of early Australian knitwear history. CUGGI was founded in Toorak, Melbourne, Australia in 1969, years before the label became internationally recognized for its distinctive knit sweaters. In 1987, CUGGI was renamed COOGI, the name that would later become closely associated with luxury knitwear and 1990s hip-hop culture.

The original CUGGI neck label makes this an especially interesting piece for vintage COOGI collectors. Because the CUGGI name predates the 1987 rebranding, this represents the earlier chapter of the brand rather than the later COOGI era. The 1987 timing is also supported by trademark records showing a COOGI application filed that year by CUGGI Australia Limited.

This sweater features a charcoal/grey base with a subtle mustard/gold geometric woven pattern throughout. Unlike the extremely colorful COOGI sweaters that became famous later, this has a much more understated vintage aesthetic.