If you're like me, then you probably don't know how to pronounce EVERY designer. I remember one time, circa 1994 I heard someone correct me at the mall when I said I wanted to go into Bee-Cee-Bee-Gee (BCBG)....She goes "Uh, ... it's pronounced Bay-Say-Bay-Jeh" (like "duh").... So one afternoon I corrected one of my girlfriends as she was saying BCBG and let me tell you. 16 years later I haven't been able to live it down with her!
So I thought I'd share a cheat list that is kind of fun to go through and read aloud. I only knew about 70% maybe.
So I thought I'd share a cheat list that is kind of fun to go through and read aloud. I only knew about 70% maybe.
A
Alessandro Dell’Acqua: Del-LAK-wa
Anna Sui: Anna SWEE
Anne Demeulemeester: Ahn Deh-MUH-le-mees-ter
Anteprima: On-tay-pre-ma
Agnes B.: Ahn-NYAS Buh
Atelier: ah-tell-ee-ay
Azzedine Alaia: Aza-deen A-LYE-a
Badgley Mischka: badge-lee meesh-ka
Balenciaga: Bah-LEN-see-ah-ga
Bally: BAH-li
Balmain: Bahl-MAH
Baume & Mercier: Bom ee Mer-SEE-yay
Behnaz Sarafpour: Beh-naz Sa-RAH-furr
Braun Buffel: Brohn Byu-furl
Bruno Magli: BROO-no MAL-yi
Bottega Veneta: BO-te-ga Ve-NE-tah
Boucheron: Boo-ke-ron
Bvlgari: Bull-gah-ree
Byblos: BEEB-los
C
Carolina Herrera: caro-LEENA hair-ERA
Chacharel: KA-sha-rel
Cartier: KAR-ti-yay
Celine: seh-lyn
Cerruti: Cher-RU-tee
Cesare Paciotti: CHE-sa-ray Pa-chi-YO-ti
Chanel: Shuh-NEL
Chantal Thomas: SHAN-tal To-MAH
Charriol: SHA-ri-yol
Chloe: KLOH-eh
Chopard: Sho PAR
Christian Louboutin: kris-tian loo-boo-tahn (soft N)
Christian Lacroix: Christian LAH-kwa
Claude Montana: Kload Mohn-TA-na
Comme des Garçons: Kom deh GHAR-sohn
Coccinelle: KOH-chee-nel-li
Costume National: KOHS-tyum NAH-sho-nal
Courreges: Koo-REZH
Cynthia Rowley: Cynthia RAO-li
Dolce & Gabbana: DOL-chay and Ge-BA-na
Donna Karan: Donna Kah-ren
Dries Van Noten: Dress Vahn NOH-tehn
Elie Saab: EH-li Zahb
Emanuel Ungaro: Ee-MAN-noo-el OON-Gah-ro
Emilio Pucci: Ehm-ee-lee-o Poo-chee
Emporio Armani: Em-POHR-yo AR-mah-ni
Erotokritos: arrow-toe-kri-tose
Ermenigildo Zegna: Ehr-MAN-ni-jil-do ZEY-na
Etro: EHT-tro
Etienne Aigner: eh-tee-YEN ON-yay
Façonable: FAH-so-nahb
Georg Jensen: Yorg YEN-sen
Gianfranco Ferre: ZHAN-franck-o Feh-REH
Gianni Versace: Jee-YAN-nee Ver-SA-chee
Givenchy: ZHEE-von-shee
Gucci: GOO-chi
Guy Laroche: Gee Lah-Rosh
Hedi Slimane: EH-di Sli-MAHN
Helmut Lang: HEL-moot Lung
Hermes: Air-h-MEZZ
Herve Leger: Er-VEY Le-ZHAY
Hussein Chalayan: HOO-sayn CHA-layan
Issey Miyake: EES-say Mi-YA-kay
Jacques Fath: Zhack Faht
Jaeger-Lecoultre: Yay-ger Leh-KOOT
Jean-Charles de Castlebajac: Zhan-Sharls de KA-sel-ba-zhak
Jean Louis Scherrer: Zhan LOO-ee She-REHR
Jean Paul Gaultier: Zhan Paul GOL-tee-yay
Lanvin: Lon-VAWN
Les Copains: Leh KHO-pang
Loewe: Lo-EH-veh
Longchamp: Long-shum
Longines: LOHN-jeens
Louis Ferraud: LOO-ee Fay-YOH
Louis Vuitton: LOO-wee vwe-TOHN
Madame Gres: mah-dam gray
Mainbocher: Men-bo-SHAY
Marithé et François Girbaud: Mah-ri-TAY eh Frans-SUAH Jeer BO
Martin Margiela: Marr-JEL-la
Manolo Blahnik: Ma-no-low Blah-nick
Martine Sitbon: Marh-TIN Si-BOHN
Miu Miu: Myu Myu
Moet et Chandon: Moe-ET A shan-don (soft N)
Monique Lhuillier: Moe-neek Loo-lee-ay
Moschino: Mos-KI-no
Narciso Rodriguez: Nar-SEE-so-Rod-RI-gehz
Nicholas Ghesquire: NI-ko-la GEHS-kyerr
o
Olivier Theyskens: Oh-LI-vi-yay THIGH-skens
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Piaget: Pya-jay
Piazza Sempione: Pi-YAT-za Sem-pi-YO-ni
Pierre Balmain: Pyerr BAHL-mahn
Pierre Cardin: PEE-air Car-dain
Plain Sud: Plan Sood
POLECI: policy
Proenza Schouler: Pro-EHN-za SKOOL-er
Ralph Lauren: Ralph LO-Ren
Rochas: RHO-shas
Rodarte: row-dar-tay
Romero Gigli: Romeo JEE-li
Salvatore Ferragamo: Sal-va-TOH-reh Fehr a-GAH-mo
Sonia Rykiel: Saun-ya REEK-ki-yel
Thierry Mugler: TEh-ree MOOH-glay
Thakoon: ta-koon
Tiiu Kiuk: tee-you Quick
Tibi: tbi (not Tee-bee)
Tocca: toe-ka
Thomas Maier: TOH-mas MAH-yer
Ungaro: oon-Ga-ro
Versace: ver-sah-chee OR ver-saw-chay
Veronique Branquinho: Ve-ro-NEEK BRANG-ki-no
X
Xuly: Bët ZUH-li Bet
YSL Rive Gauche: YSL Reev Gosh
Yves Saint Laurent: Eve Sahn Lor-UHN
Z
Zac Posen: Zac poe-zen
