There’s nothing more awkward than discovering you’ve been pronouncing something wrong.
Fashion names are some of the biggest tongue twisters around. Here’s FQ’s guide for pronouncing everything from A(laia) to Z(uhair), to ensure you sound like the ultimate fashion insider:
Alber Elbaz, former creative director, Lanvin: ahl-bear el-bahz
Alessandro Michele, creative director, Gucci: a-lay-san-dro me-kay-lay
Altuzzara: ahl-too-ZAH-rah
Anna Sui: an-nuh swee
Ann Demeulemeester: ann de-mule-eh-meester
Anya Hindmarch: ahn-ya hind-marsh
Azzedine Alaia: azz-eh-deen ah-lie-ah
Badgley Mischka: badge-lee meesh-kah
Balenciaga: bah-len-see-AH-gah
Balmain: bel-MAH(n)
Batsheva: bat-sheh-vah
Bottega Veneta: bow-TEH-guh VEHN-et-tah
Bvlgari: bool-gah-ree
Carolina Herrera: cair-oh-lee-nah her-RAIR-ah
Christian Lacroix: kreest-yahn luh-krwa
Christian Louboutin: kreest-yahn loo-boo-TAHN
Comme des Garçons: cohm day gar-sohn
Consuelo Castiglioni, former creative director, Marni: con-sway-lo cas-tig-lee-oh-nee
Courrèges: koo-rej
Demna Gvasalia, creative director, Balenciaga: deem-nah vas-ah-liyah
Dolce & Gabbana: dol-chey and gab-ahna
Dries Van Noten: dreez van KNOW-ten
Eckhaus Latta: eck-house lah-ta
Elie Saab: eel-lee sahb
Elsa Schiaparelli: el-sah skyap-uh-rell-ee
Erdem: er-DEM
Gareth Pugh: geh-rith pew
Giambattista Valli: gee-am-bah-tease-ta vah-lee
Gianfranco Ferre: gee-ahn-franco feh-ray
Givenchy: zjee-von-shee
Glossier: gloss-ee-AY
Hedi Slimane, creative director of Celine: ed-ee slim-ahn
Hermès: air-mez
Hervé Léger: air-vay le-jay
Hussein Chalayan: hoo-sane sha-lion
Isabel Marant: izz-a-bell ma-rohn(t)
Issa: ee-sah
Issey Miyake: iss-ee mee-yah-key
Jacquemus: jhak–muhs
Jean Paul Gaultier: zhon paul go-tee-ay
Jil Sander: jill Sahn-der
Junya Watanabe: joon-yah wah-tah-nah-bey
Lanvin: lohn-vahn
Lemaire: leh-MEHR
Loewe: loo-eh-vay
Louis Vuitton: loo-wee vwee-tawn
Maison Martin Margiela: may-sohn mar-tin mar-jhell-ah
Maje: mahj
Marchesa: mar-kay-zah
Mary Katrantzou: mar-ee ka-tran-zoo
Marques’Almeida: mar-kus al-mee-duh
Maryam Nassir Zadeh: mary-um nah-seer zah-dey
Miu Miu: mew-mew
Monique Lhuillier: mo-neek loo-lee-ay
Moschino: moss-key-no
Narciso Rodriguez: nar-see-so Rod-ree-gez
Net-a-Porter: net-a-por-tay
Nicolas Ghesquière: nee-ko-la guess-key-air
Olivier Rousteing, creative director, Balmain: oh-liv-ee-aye rhoos-tain
Olivier Theyskens: oh-liv-ee-ay tay-skins
Phoebe Philo, former creative director, Céline: fee-bee file-oh
Pierpaolo Piccioli, creative director, Valentino: pier-paolo pea-shioli
Prabal Gurung: praw-bull goo-roong
Proenza Schouler: pro-en-zuh skool-er
Pyer Moss: pee-ayrr
Raf Simons: rauf see-mon-s
Ralph Lauren: ralf lo-ren
Rejina Pyo: re-jeenah pee-yoh
Riccardo Tisci, creative director, Givenchy: ree-car-doh tish-ee
Rochas: row-shahs
Rodarte: row-dar-tay
Roksanda Ilincic: rock-sand-a ill-in-chik
Saint Laurent: san lo-ron
Salvatore Ferragamo: sal-vah-tor-re fer-ra-gah-moh
Schiaparelli: scap-a-reli
Simone Rocha: sih-mone row-sha
Sonia Rykiel: sewn-yah ree-key-el
Thakoon: tah-koon
Thierry Mugler: tee-air-ee mu-glare
Versace: ver-sah-chay
Vetements: vet-MAHn
Vionnet: vee-oh-nay
Yohji Yamamoto: yoh-jee yam-ah-mo-to
Zuhair Murad: zoo-hair moor-odd
