Ever try to pronounce some of the trickier names in the fashion
industry and feel like you are John Travolta introducing Idina Menzel at the Oscars? Me too! (if you want to Travoltify your own name, click here)
So for anyone who has ever stumbled over Sonia Rykiel or mumbled their way through Martin Margiela, Harpers Bazaar compiled the ultimate cheat sheet to help fashion fans master the dialects of the designer alphabet.
And we must not be the only ones! It seems that this was so popular that after the first list appeared… a Part Two was printed the very next day.
They say practice makes perfect ...so, ready?
Part One
Anna Sui: anna swee
Ann Demeulemeester: ann
de-mule-eh-meester
Azzedine Alaia: azz-eh-deen
ah-lie-ah
Badgley Mischka: badge-lee meesh-kah
Balenciaga: bah-len-see-ah-gah
Balmain: bahl-mahhhhn
Bottega Veneta: bow-tay-guh
vah-netta
Christian Lacroix: christian luh-kwa
Christian Louboutin: christian loo-boo-tan
Comme des Garçons: comb
dey gah-sown
Dolce & Gabbana: dol-chey
and gab-ana
Dries Van Noten: drees
van know-ten
Gareth Pugh: gareth
pew
Giambattista Valli: gee-am-bah-tease-ta vah-lee
Gianfranco Ferre: gee-ahn-franco
feh-ray
Givenchy: zjee-von-shee
Hermès: er-mez
Hervé Léger: air-vay lay-jah
Hussein Chalayan: hoo-sane
sha-lion
Issey Miyake: iss-ee
mee-yah-key
Jean Paul Gaultier: zhon paul go-tee-ay
Junya Watanabe: jun-yah
wat-an-ah-bey
Kinder Aggugini: kinder
ag-ooh-gee-nee
Lanvin: lahn-vahn
Loewe: loh-wev-eh
Louis Vuitton: loo-wee
vwee-tahn
L'Wren Scott: la-ren
scott
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
Olivier Theyskens: oh-liv-ee-ay
tay-skins
Proenza Schouler: pro-en-zuh
skool-er
Rochas: row-shahs
Rodarte: row-dar-tay
Roksanda Ilincic: roksanda ill-in-chik
Salvatore Ferragamo: sal-vah-tor-re fer-ra-gah-moh
Sonia Rykiel: sewn-yah
ree-key-el
Thakoon: tah-koon
Versace: vur-sah-chee
Yves Saint Laurent: eve
san lau-ron
Yohji Yamamoto: yoh-jee
yam-ah-mo-to
Part Two
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
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
Carven: cahr-vehn
Costella Tagliapietra: coh-stell-oh
tag-lee-ah-pee-ay-troh
Cushnie et Ochs: cuh-sh-nee
eht ocks
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
Guillame Henry: gee-ohm
ahn-ree
Hedi Slimane: ed-ee
slim-ahn
Issa: ee-sah
Issey Miyake: ee-say
mee-ah-kay
Kirna Zabête: keer-nah zah-bet
Maiyet: may-et
Maje: mahj
Nicholas Ghesquière: nee-coh-la
guess-k-yair
Ralph Lauren: ralf
lor-en
Rei Kawakubo: ray cow-uh-kooh-bo
Sacai: suh-kai
Schiaparelli: skyap-uh-rell-ee
Thierry Mugler: tee-air-ee mu-glare
TSE: say
Ulyana Sergeenko: uhl-yahn-uh
s-air-jane-koh
Vika Gazinskaya: vee-kah
gahv-in-skee-yah
Vionnet: vee-oh-nay
Yigal Azrouël: yig-ahl ahz-roo-el
Any better? Well, for me, maybe better about a few…but I
still don’t know -I'm thinking I may have to wait for the audio version to
come out.
