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