The Designer Pronunciation Guide

Published 2007 | By Cassandra White

If you’re going to be in fashion, it’s not a bad idea to learn how to say designer names properly — there’s nothing worse than hearing someone say Ralph Lo-REN! Some names are a bit tricky but think of how impressive you’ll sound the next time you bump into Karl Lagerfeld!

Anna Sui:
An-na Swee, not Soo-ee
Balenciaga:
Bah-len-see-ah-ga
Balmain:
Bal-mah
Burberry Prorsum:
Por-some not Pror-some (the first ‘r’ is silent)
Byblos:
Bib-loss
Carolina Herrera:
If, in her presence, you don’t put the ‘ee’ in your ‘ina’, as in Ca-ro-lee-na, Ms. Ay-reh-ra (rolled ‘r’) will correct you.
Chanel:
Sha-nel
Chloé:
The French would say: Clo-ay, though we say: Clo-ee. No one says Chuh-loe-ee or Chuh-low. That’s just silly.
Christian Dior:
Kris-tee-ohn Dee-or, not Dye-or
Christian Lacroix:
Kris-tee-ohn La-kwah
Christian Louboutin:
Kris-tee-ohn Loo-boo-ta (‘ta’ as in ‘tan’)
Comme des Garçons:
Com deh Gar-soh
Donna Karan:
It is NOT ka-RHAN. Just Karen.
Dolce & Gabbana:
Doll-chey and Gah-BAH-nah
Emilio Pucci:
EH-mee-lio Poo-chee
Ermenegildo Zegna:
Air-menah-jil-do Zen-ya
Fendi:
Fen-dee
Gianfranco Ferré:
Jyan-franco Fair-reh (say it like an Italian – it helps)
Giorgio Armani:
Pronounced the way it looks, just roll your ‘r’s.
Givenchy:
Zhee-von-shee. The first ‘g’ is not a hard ‘g’ as in ‘give’. It is more of a softer ‘j’ sound’.
Gucci:
Goo-che
Guy Laroche:
Gee La-rosh (hard ‘g’)
Hermès:
Er-mez or for extra snootiness Air-mez
Hervé Léger:
Er-veh Leh-zheh
Issey Miyake:
Ee-say Mih-yak-kee
Jean-Charles de Castelbajac:
Zhoh-Shar deh Casel-bah-zhah
Jean Paul Gaultier:
Zh-ahn, Paul, Go-tee-ay
Loewe:
Loh-veh
Louis Feraud:
Loo-wee Feh-roh (very slient ‘r’)
Louis Vuitton:
Loo-wee Vwee-ton
Martine Sitbon:
Mah-teen Si-boh
Missoni:
Mis-SOH-nee
Miu Miu:
Myu-Myu
Moschino:
Mos-kee-no, NOT Mos-chee-no
Nicolas Ghesquiere:
Nik-ol-ah Guess-key-air
Pierre Cardin:
Pee-yeah Kah-dah
Ralph Lauren:
It is NEVER lor-EN as in Sophia Loren. It is Lauren as in the name Lauren.
Salvatore Ferragamo:
Sal-vah-toh-ray Fer-ah-gah-moh (roll the ‘r’)
Thierry Mugler:
Tee-air-ee Moog-lay
Versace:
Ver-sah-chee
Yves Saint Laurent:
Eaves-sahn Lore-rahn