HOW TO PRONOUNCE DESIGNER NAMES

Ever wondered round a luxury department store and silently wondered how to pronounce any the designer names you were looking at? You probably have even tried sounding it out whilst doing online clothes shopping. Well you’re not alone.

First of all, as a fashion stylist, a lot of my work involves speaking to, with and of designers. Therefore getting their names right is an important part of positive client/business relations. Most noteworthy, there are so many international designers and as a result comes spectacularly fancy foreign designer names that are not as they seem. Hence why I’m glad Bazaar.co.uk came up with a useful pronunciation list for the 101 on how to pronounce some of the biggest & popular designers and  I thought I’d share it too.

“Ever found yourself stuck for words when trying to pronounce some of the trickier designer names in the fashion lexicon? Us too. And, we figured, if we find it hard, then pity the poor woman who has a normal life and no time to study such things. So for anyone who has ever stumbled over Sonia Rykiel or mumbled their way through Martin Margiela, Team Bazaar has compiled the ultimate cheat sheet to help fashion fans master the dialects of the designer names alphabet. Practice makes perfect…”

PRONOUNCING DESIGNER NAMES…

A

Anna Sui: anna swee

Ann Demeulemeester: ann de-mule-eh-meester

Azzedine Alaia: azz-eh-deen ah-lie-ah

A Détacher: ah day-tah-shay

Acne: ahk-nay

Alber Elbaz: ahl-bear el-bahz

Alexandre Vauthier: ah-lex-ahn-der voh-tee-ay

Andrew Gn: an-drew jin

Anya Hindmarch: ahn-yuh hind-marsh

Aquilano Rimondi: ah-kwi-lahn-doh rim-ohn-dee

B

Badgley Mischka: badge-lee meesh-kah

Balenciaga: bah-len-see-ah-gah

Balmain: bahl-mahhhhn

Bottega Veneta: bow-tay-guh vah-netta

Behnaz Sarafpour: ben-ahz sar-uh-for

Bibhu Mohapatra: bee-booh mo-ahh-pat-rah

Bouchra Jarrar: boo-shra jahr-arr

Burberry Prorsum: burr-behr-ee prohr-sum

C

Christian Lacroix: christian luh-kwa

Christian Louboutin: christian loo-boo-tan

Comme des Garçons: comb dey gah-sown

Carven: cahr-vehn

Costella Tagliapietra: coh-stell-oh tag-lee-ah-pee-ay-troh

Cushnie et Ochs: cuh-sh-nee eht ocks

D

Dolce & Gabbana: dol-chey and gab-ana

Dries Van Noten: drees van know-ten

E

Elie Saab: ee-lee sahb

Emanuel Ungaro: ee-man-you-el oon-gar-oh

Erdem Moragliou: air-dem more-ah-glee-uh

Ermenegildo Zegna: ehr-men-e-jil-doh zayn-yah

Etro: eht-ro

G

Gareth Pugh: gareth pew

Giambattista Valli: gee-am-bah-tease-ta vah-lee

Gianfranco Ferre: gee-ahn-franco feh-ray

Givenchy: zjee-von-shee

Guillame Henry: gee-ohm ahn-ree

H

Hermès: er-mez

Hervé Léger: air-vay lay-jah

Hussein Chalayan: hoo-sane sha-lion

Hedi Slimane: ed-ee slim-ahn

I

Issa: ee-sah

Issey Miyake: iss-ee mee-yah-key

J

Jean Paul Gaultier: zhon paul go-tee-ay

Junya Watanabe: jun-yah wat-an-ah-bey

K

Kinder Aggugini: kinder ag-ooh-gee-nee

Kirna Zabête: keer-nah zah-bet

L

Lanvin: lahn-vahn

Loewe: loh-wev-eh

Louis Vuitton: loo-wee vwee-tahn

L’Wren Scott: la-ren scott

M

Maison Martin Margiela: may-sohn martin mar-jhell-ah

Marchesa: mar-kay-sah

Mary Katrantzou: mary cat-trant-zoo

Miu Miu: mew-mew

Monique Lhuillier: monique le-hu-lee-ay

Moschino: mos-key-no

Maiyet: may-et

Maje: mahj

N

Nicholas Ghesquière: nee-coh-la guess-k-yair

O

Olivier Theyskens: oh-liv-ee-ay tay-skins

P

Proenza Schouler: pro-en-zuh skool-er

R

Rochas: row-shahs

Rodarte: row-dar-tay

Roksanda Ilincic: roksanda ill-in-chik

Ralph Lauren: ralf lor-en

Rei Kawakubo: ray cow-uh-kooh-bo

S

Salvatore Ferragamo: sal-vah-tor-re fer-ra-gah-moh

Sonia Rykiel: sewn-yah ree-key-el

Sacai: suh-kai

Schiaparelli: skyap-uh-rell-ee

T

Thakoon: tah-koon

Thierry Mugler: tee-air-ee mu-glare

TSE: say

U

Ulyana Sergeenko: uhl-yahn-uh s-air-jane-koh

V

Vika Gazinskaya: vee-kah gahv-in-skee-yah

Vionnet: vee-oh-nay

Versace: vur-sah-chee

Y

Yves Saint Laurent: eve san lau-ron

Yohji Yamamoto: yoh-jee yam-ah-mo-to

Yigal Azrouël: yig-ahl ahz-roo-el