FASHION 101: HOW TO PRONOUNCE DESIGNER NAMES

How to say a designer’s name?

Few things in fashion present a bigger quandary than the pronunciation of designer names and labels. True insiders in the industry know the correct names and are quick to drop them as a badge of honor of sorts. Kind of like membership in an exclusive club. Vapid, but that’s fashion for you.

As such, butchering a designers name in a boutique, department store or industry event is a faux-pas on par with going for seconds during lunch at the Conde Nast building.

Here’s a guide to prevent any possible faux-pas. (Note: There are also other guides all around the internet on pronouncing designer names here, here, here, here, here, here, here and here.)

Now the guide to pronouncing designer label names:

Anya Hindmarch: Ahn-ya Heind-march

Badgley Mischka: Badge-lee Meesh-ka

Bebe: Bee-bee

Bottega Veneta: Bo-tega Ven-e-ta

Bulgari: Ball-gah-ree

Burberry Prorsum: Bur-bur-ree Pror-some

Carolina Herrera: Caro-leena Hair-era

Christian Louboutin: Loo-boo-tin

Gareth Pugh: Gareth Pew

Giles Deacon: Jy-els Dee-kin

Givenchy: Jhee-von-shee

Hedi Slimane: Eddy Sli-mahn

Hermès: Air-mez

Hervé Léger: Air-vay Lay-jay

Lanvin: Lon-vin

Loewe: Low-ev-ay

Louis Vuitton: Loo-ee Voo-ee-ton

Marchesa: Mar-kay-sa

Moschino: Mo-ski-no

Nicolas Ghesquière: Ni-co-la Guess-ki-air

Olivier Theyskens: Oli-vier Tay-skins

Pierre Cardin: Pee-air Car-dain

Proenza Schouler: Pro-enza Skool-er

Ralph Lauren: Ralph Lauren (as in Lauren the girl’s name, not Sophia Loren)

6267: Six-two-six-seven (not Sixty-two-sixty-seven)

Thakoon: Ta-koon

Thierry Mugler: Tee-air-ree Moog-lay

Yohji Yamamoto: Yo-jee Ya-ma-mo-to