If you’ve read or heard about someone named Pattie Gonia and their legal battle with the well-known outdoor brand, Patagonia, you probably have questions.
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Like, who is Pattie Gonia? Why have you heard that name before? And what would instigate a legal battle (and cultural faceoff) between a travel influencer and one of the world’s most well-known outdoor adventure brands?
Let’s dive into the week’s juiciest travel drama.
Who is Pattie Gonia? And what kicked off the drama?
I first heard about Pattie Gonia in early January 2025 when I was covering Nat Geo’s Travelers of the Year. It’s an annual list that highlights great thinkers and movers in the travel world. Patti Gonia was one of the company’s 2025 selections.
Pattie Gonia is a drag queen who resides in Oregon and specializes in making outdoor adventures stylish. Her goal is to empower travelers to get out into the wilderness to hone their survival skills while fostering a relationship with Mother Nature. She’s also an advocate working to end ecocide.
In short, she makes the outdoors cool for those who have limited experience in navigating the wild. She’s not just a drag queen and an environmentalist—she’s a thought leader for many youth who love nature and pop culture. (I consider myself one of those people, which is why I enjoy Pattie Gonia’s antics.)
The name does a great job of embodying Pattie Gonia’s vibe—but, unsurprisingly, it recently caught the attention of Patagonia, the outdoor adventure brand. Which, yes, is also the name of a large area in southern Argentina… also called Patagonia.
Patagonia sues Pattie in 2026
Patagonia recently sued Pattie Gonia over trademark infringement. The move came after Pattie Gonia attempted to file an application that would allow her to sell merch with her name on it, along with online marketing purposes.
It isn’t the first time the two ventures have butted heads. Back in 2022, when Pattie Gonia was working with Hydroflask, she penned an agreement with Patagonia. The agreement stated that she would not create any products that use fonts or designs similar to Patagonia’s logos.
However, that agreement was breached in 2025 when Pattie Gonia began selling merch with her name on it, according to Patagonia. The company is suing Gonia for only $1, making this a battle of intellectual property.
A look at Patagonia and Pattie Gonia’s statements
In January, Patagonia released a statement regarding the lawsuit. It reads that the company supports art, artistic expression, and Pattie Gonia’s career. However, the company insists that it owns the right to use its name to sell products and advocate for the environment—but that Pattie Gonia has not respected previous agreements.
Here’s a portion of the statement, “Unfortunately, in late 2024, Pattie Gonia started selling “Pattie Gonia” branded apparel online and continued to create and use versions of our logo. Our outreach to Pattie asking her to stick to our agreement was refused. A subsequent note asking to discuss potential ways forward got no response. Then, in September of 2025, Pattie Gonia filed a trademark application seeking the exclusive rights to use the brand “Pattie Gonia” to sell clothing and apparel, promote environmental activism, engage in online marketing and endorsements, and more.”
Patagonia has also gone on to state that it supports all climate activists who share its mission, including Pattie Gonia, and reiterates that a legal battle with the drag queen is not a personal attack.
Pattie Gonia, on the other hand, insists that she has always worked alongside Patagonia. A statement from her website reads, “When Patagonia, Inc., sued me without warning in January, I started immediately pursuing an amicable settlement. I have believed from the beginning that there is room for an agreement that protects your trademark while letting me keep my name and my work. I believe that still today.”
She ends her letter by reminding that the lawsuit serves no higher purpose, and that her namesake comes from the region in South America—not the company, which also borrowed the geographic name.
When Pattie Gonia first began backpacking in heels back in 2018, her first trips crisscrossed South America. One region that she traversed was Patagonia. In short, her argument follows that her name isn’t based on the company, but on a region that played an important role in inspiring her activism.
