How to pronounce designer names 101: The ultimate guide
Ever found yourself stuck when trying to pronounce the name of a fashion brand? Manner & Mischief’s A-Z cheat sheet will help you tackle everything from Azzedine Alaia and Hermes to Versace and Yves Saint Laurent. Just remember:
1. For French names, trail off at the end, so your mouth is in a round shape and you don’t quite get to the ‘N’.
2. Practise makes perfect.
PS: Haute couture is ‘oat ku tour’. Not ‘hot kew-ture’.
Designer pronunciations: A
A Détacher: ah day-tah-shay
Abaeté: ah-bye-ah-tay
Acne: ahk-nay
Alber Elbaz: ahl-bear el-bahz
Alejandro Ingelmo: allay-handro in-gel-mo
Andrew Gn: an-drew jin
Anna Sui: ah-na swee
Ann Demeulemeester: ann de-mule-eh-meester
Anya Hindmarch: ahn-ya hind-marsh
Arthur Mendonça: ar-thur men-doe-sa
Azzedine Alaia: azz-eh-deen ah-lie-ah
Designer pronunciations: B
Badgley Mischka: badge-lee meesh-kah
Balenciaga: bah-len-see-ah-gah
Balmain: bahl-mahhhhn
Behnaz Sarafpour: ben-ahz sar-uh-fur
Bibhu Mohapatra: bee-booh mo-ahh-pat-rah
Bottega Veneta: bow-tay-guh vah-netta
Bulgari: ball-gah-ree
Burberry: burr-behr-ee
Burberry Prorsum: burr-behr-ee prohr-sum
Designer pronunciations: C
Carven: cahr-vehn
Cacharel: cash-er-el
Carolina Herrera: caro-leena hair-era
Céline: say-leen
Cesare Paciotti: che-sah-ray pah-cho-tee
Chaiken: chay-ken
Chanel: shuh-nel
Christian Lacroix: kris-ti-an luh-kwa
Christian Louboutin: christian loo-boo-tan
Comme des Garçons: comb dey gar-son
Designer pronunciations: D
Dior: dee-yor
Dior Homme: dee-yor om
Dolce & Gabbana: dol-chey and gab-ana
Dries Van Noten: dreeze van not-en
Dsquared2: dee squared
Designer pronunciations: E
Elie Saab: ee-lee sahb
Emanuel Ungaro: ee-man-you-el oon-gar-oh
Emilio Pucci: ee-mee-lee-oh pu-chee
Ermenegildo Zegna: er-men-a-geel-do zen-ya
Etienne Aigner: eh-tee-yen on-yay
Etro: eh-tro
Designer pronunciations: F-G
Fendi: fend-ee
Gareth Pugh: gareth pew
Giambattista Valli: gee-am-bah-tease-ta vah-lee
Gianfranco Ferre: gee-ahn-franco feh-ray
Giles Deacon: jy-els dee-kin
Givenchy: jee-vohn-shee
Gucci: goo-chee
Guillame Henry: gee-ohm ahn-ree
Guy Laroche: ghee la-roash
Designer pronunciations: H
Hedi Slimane: ed-ee slim-ahn
Hermès: air-mez
Hervé Léger: air-vay lay-jah
Hussein Chalayan: hoo-sane sha-lion
Designer pronunciations: I
Issa: ee-sah
Issey Miyake: iss-ee mee-yah-key
Designer pronunciations: J-L
Jean Paul Gaultier: zhon paul go-tee-ay
Lanvin: lahn-vahhhh…n
Loewe: lo-ee-vay
Louis Vuitton: loo-wee vwee-tahn
L’Wren Scott: la-ren scott
Designer pronunciations: M
Maison Martin Margiela: may-sohn martin mar-jhell-ah
Maje: mahj
Marchesa: mar-kay-sah
Missoni: miss-own-ee
Miu Miu: mew-mew
Monique Lhuillier: monique le-hu-lee-ay
Moschino: moss-key-no
Designer pronunciations: N
Narciso Rodriguez: nar-siss-so ro-dree-gez
Nicholas Ghesquière: nee-coh-la guess-k-yair
Designer pronunciations: O-P
Olivier Theyskens: oh-liv-ee-ay tay-skins
Pierre Cardin: pee-air car-dain
Proenza Schouler: pro-enza skoo-ler
Designer pronunciations: R-S
Ralph Lauren: ralf lor-en
Rochas: row-shah
Rodarte: row-dar-tay
Saint Laurent: san lor-raun
Salvatore Ferragamo: sal-vah-tor-re fer-ra-gah-moh
Schiaparelli: scap-a-reli
Sonia Rykiel: sonia ree-kee-eel
Designer pronunciations: T
Thakoon: tah-koon
Thierry Mugler: tee-air-ee mu-glare
TSE: say
Designer pronunciations: U-V
Vera Wang: veer-ah wang
Versace: vur-sah-chee
Vionnet: vee-oh-nay
Designer pronunciations: Y-Z
Yves Saint Laurent: eeves san lau-ron
Yohji Yamamoto: yoh-jee yam-ah-mo-to