There’s a lot of labels out there with really…colorful names. Many of the designers and fashion houses are French and Italian–which is great, it makes for beautiful names, but sometimes, people aren’t too sure how you’re supposed to say it. Here is our no-frills guide to fashion designer pronunciation some of the trickier names, send us an email if we missed some you’d like to know!
A
Abaeté: Ahh-bye-ah-tay
Agnès B: Ahn-yes Beh
Alber Elbaz :Al-ber El-bahz
Alessandro Dell’Acqua: Aleh-SAND-row del-la-kwah
Alexandre Herchcovitch: Ah-leh-ZAN-dreh HAIRCH-co-vich
Andrew Gn: Ahn-drew Jen
Anna Sui: Ah-na SWEE
Anteprima: On-tay-PRE-ma
Anya Hindmarch: Ahn-ya HEIND-march
Aquascutum: Ah-kwa-SCEW-tum
Arthur Mendonça: Ar-thur Men-doe-sa
Atelier: Ah-tell-ee-ay
Azzedine Alaia: Aza-deen A-LYE-a
B
Badgley Mischka: Badge-lee Meesh-ka
Balenciaga: Bah-len-see-AH-gah
Bally: BAH-li
Balmain: Bahl-mah
Baume & Mercier: Bom ee Mer-SEE-yay
Behnaz Sarafpour: Beh-naz Sa-RAH-furr
Bettye Muller: Beh-tee Meu-ler
Bottega Veneta: BO-tega VEN-e-ta
Boucheron: Boo-ke-ron
Boudicca: Boo-dih-ka
Bruno Magli: BROO-no MAL-yi
Bvlgari: BULL-gah-ree
Burberry Prorsum: BUR-bur-ree Proar-some
Byblos: BEEB-los
C
Cacharel: Cash-er-el
Carolina Herrera: Caro-leena Ey-reh-ra
Cartier: Car-ti-yay
Celine: Seh-leen
Celio: Chel-yo
Cerruti: Cher-RU-tee
Cesare Paciotti: Che-sah-ray Pah-cho-tee
Chaiken: Chay-ken
Chanel: Sha-nel
Chantal Thomas: SHAN-tal To-MAH
Charles Jourdan: Sharls Zhor-DHUN
Charriol: SHA-ri-yol
Chloe: KLOH-eeh
Chopard: Sho PAR
Christian Dior: Dee-yor
Christian Lacroix: Cree-styan la-KWA (make the croix part sound a bit throaty)
Christian Louboutin: Cree-styan Luh-boo-tahn
Clarins: Clarans
Claude Montana: Kload Mohn-TA-na
Coccinelle: KOH-chee-nel-li
Comme des Garçons: Cohm-day Gar-SOHN
Courreges: Koo-REZH
D
Dana Buchman: Day-nah Buck-man
Dior Homme: Dee-OR OM
Dolce & Gabbana: DOLE-chay and gab-BON-a
Dries Van Noten: DREEZ van KNOW-ten
E
Elie Saab: EH-li Sahb
Emanuel Ungaro: Ee-MAN-noo-el OON-Gah-ro
Emilio Pucci: Eh-mi-li-oh Poo-ch-ee
Empire: Um-pierre
Emporio Armani: Em-POHR-yo AR-ma-ni
Ermenegildo Zegna: Er-MEN-a-jil-do Zen-ya
Erotokritos: Arrow-toe-kri-tose
Etienne Aigner: Eh-tee-yen On-yay
Etro: Eh-tro
F
Façonnable: FAH-so-nahb
Fancl: Fang-kel
Fendi: Fend-ee
Furla: Fer-luh
G
Gareth Pugh: Gareth Pew
Georg Jensen: Yorg YEN-sen
Giambattista Valli: Gee-ahm-battista Valley
Gianfranco Ferre: Gee-an-frank-co Feh-REH
Gianni Versace: Jee-YAN-nee Ver-SA-chee
Giles Deacon: Jy-els Dee-kin
Giorgio Armani: Jyor-jio Ahr-MAH-nee
Girbaud: Jir-bow
Givenchy: Jhee-VON-shee
Gucci: GOO-chi
Guerlain: Gher-lahn
Guy Laroche: Gee La-roash
H
Hedi Slimane: Idie Slim-MAHN
Helmut Lang: HEL-moot Lahng
Hermès: Ehr-mehz
Hervé Léger: Air-vay Lay-jay
Hussein Chalayan: Who-sane Sha-lion
I
Issey Miyake: Ee-seh Mi-yah-key
Iris van Herpen: Eris van Herpen
J
Jacques Fath: Zhack Faht
Jaeger-Lecoultre: Yay-ger Leh-KOOT
James Perse: James Purse (not “pierce”)
Jean Louis Scherrer: Zhan LOO-ee She-REHR
Jean Paul Gaultier: Zhan paul GO-tee-AY
Jean-Charles de Castlebajac: Zhan-Sharls de KA-sel-ba-zhak
Joeffer Caoc: Joe-fur Kay-ock
John Varvatos: John var-VAY-toes
Junya Watanabe: JOON-ya Wah-TAH-nah-bay
K
Kerastase: Keh-rah-stahs
Kris Van Assche: Chris Van-ASH
Ksubi: Su-bee
L
L’occitane: Lok-si-tan
L’Wren Scott: Le-ren Skot
Lacroix: La-kwah (make it sound French and throaty)
Lambertson Truex: Lam-bert-son Tru-ex
Lanvin: Lahn-VAUN
Les Copains: Lehy Co-pahn
LeSportsac: Leh-sport-sac
Loewe: LO-ee-VAY
Longchamp: Long-shum
Longines: LOHN-jeens
Louis Ferraud: LOO-ee Fay-YOH
Louis Vuitton: Loo-E Vu-EE-tohn (light emhasis the “n”)
Lucien Pellat-Finet: Lu-see-en Peh-lought Fin-ay
Lulu Castagnette: Loo-loo Kas-ta-nyet
M
Madame Gres: Mah-dam Gray
Mainbocher: Maynbo-shay
Maison Martin Margiela: MAZE-on-Mar-TEEN mar-GEL-ah
Manolo Blahnik: Ma-n-low Blah-nick
Marchesa: Mar-KAY-sa
Marithé et François Girbaud: Mah-ri-TAY eh Frans-SUAH Jeer BOW
Martine Sitbon: Mar-teen-sih-bohn
Missoni: Miss-own-ee
Miu Miu: Mew-Mew
Monique Lhullier: Mo-neek Lu-li-ay
Moschino: Mo-SKI-no (not mo-SHE-no)
N
Narciso Rodriguez: Nar-sihzo Rod-RI-gehz
Nicolas Ghesquière: NEE-ko-la guess-KYAIR
O
Olivier Theyskens: Oh-LI-vi-yay THIGH-skens
Oscar de la Renta: Os-car deh-la Ren-ta
P
Piaget: Peeah-jay
Piazza Sempione: Pi-YAT-za Sem-pi-YO-ni
Pierre Balmain: Pi-air BAHL-mahn
Pierre Cardin: Pi-air Car-dahn
Plain Sud: Plan Sood
Poleci: Policy
Prada: Prah-da
Proenza Schouler: Pro-EHN-za SKOO-ler
R
Rei Kawakubo: Ray Kah-wah-koo-bo
Rochas: RHO-shas
Rodarte: Ro-dar-tay
Romeo Gigli: Ro-meoh Gee-lee
S
Salvatore Ferragamo: Sal-va-TOH-reh Fair-a-GAH-moe
Shu Uemura: Shoe Ooh-eh-moorah
Sonia Rykiel: Saun-ya Ree-kee-eel
Sophia Kokosalaki: So-fee-a Ko-ko-sah-lah-kee
Swarovski: Zwore-off-ski
T
Tag Heuer: Tag Ho-yer
Tapeet by Vicini: Ti-peet by Vi-ch-ee-knee
Thakoon: Ta-koon
Thierry Mugler: TEh-ree MOOH-gleh
Thomas Maier: TOH-mas MAH-yer
Tibi: Tbi or Tu-by (not Tee-bee)
Tiiu Kiuk: Tee-you Quick
Tocca: Toe-ka
Trussardi: Troo-sahr-dee
U
Ungaro: OON-ga-ro
V
Vacheron Constantin: Va-sha-RON Con-ston-TAN
Veronique Branquinho: Ve-ro-NEEK BRANG-kee-no
Versace: Ver-sah-chee OR Ver-sah-chay
Vionnet: Vee-oh-nay
X
Xuly Bët: ZUH-li Bet
Y
Yohji Yamamoto: YO-jee Yah-mah-moto
YSL Rive Gauche: YSL Reev Goash
Yves Saint Laurent: Eve Sain LAUR-ahn
Z
Zac Posen: Zack Po-zen
