Pronouncing Designer Names

Tonight I had a girlfriend stop by to see my dogs and to exchange Christmas gifts. Then we started to update each other about our lives and I told her that I started to work on my blog and she randomly asked if I knew how to say "Balmain" properly. Then she showed me this list from this blog called The Chic Spy and I just had to copy and paste my own copy on to my blog. This is super helpful for those who are confused with pronouncing some of the foreign designer brand names.

1. Abaeté: Ah-bye-ah-tay
2. Agnes B: Ah-ni-ess Beh
3. Alejandro Ingelmo: Allay-handro In-gel-mo
4. Alexandre Herchcovitch: Ah-le-zan-dreh Hair-ch-co-vich
5. Andrew Gn: Andrew Jen (rhymes with “ten”)
6. Andy Thê-Anh: An-dee Tay-Ann
7. Anya Hindmarch: Ahn-ya Heind-march
8. Arthur Mendonça: Ar-thur Men-doe-sa
9. Badgley Mischka: Badge-lee Meesh-ka
10. Balmain: Bal-mah
11. Bottega Veneta: Bo-tega Ven-e-ta
12. Bulgari: Ball-gah-ree
13. Burberry Prorsum: Bur-bur-ree Pror-some
14. Carolina Herrera: Caro-leena Hair-era
15. Cesare Paciotti: Che-sah-ray Pah-cho-tee
16. Chaiken: Chay-ken
17. Christian Lacroix: La-Kwa
18. Christian Louboutin: Loo-boo-tin (“tin” rhymes with the French word “vin”)
19. Diane von Furstenberg: Fur-sten-berg (pronounced as spelled)
20. Dolce & Gabbana: Dole-ch-aye Ga-bon-na
21. Dries Van Noten: Drees Van Know-ten
22. Ermenegildo Zegna: Er-men-a-geel-do Zen-ya
23. Etienne Aigner: Eh-tee-yen On-yay
24. Gareth Pugh: Gareth Pew
25. Giles Deacon: Jy-els Dee-kin
26. Givenchy: Jee-von-shee
27. Giambattista Valli: Gee-ahm-battista Valley
28. Hedi Slimane: Eddy Sli-mahn
29. Hermès: Air-mez
30. Hervé Léger: Air-vay Lay-jay
31. James Perse: James Perse (as in a lady’s purse, not ‘pierce your ear’)
32. Joeffer Caoc: Joe-fur Kay-ock
33. Junya Watanabe: Joon-ya Wah-tah-nah-bay
34. Lambertson Truex: Lam-bert-son Tru-ex
35. Lanvin: Lon-vin (“vin” also rhymes with the French word for “wine”)
36. L’Wren Scott: Le-ren Skot
37. Loewe: Low-ev-ay
38. Louis Vuitton: Loo-ee Voo-ee-ton
39. Madame Gres: Madame Gray
40. Marchesa: Mar-kay-sa
41. Mainbocher: Maynbo-shay
42. Moschino: Mo-ski-no
43. Monique Lhullier: Mo-neek Loo-lee-ay
44. Narciso Rodriguez: Nar-siss-so Ro-dree-gez
45. Nicolas Ghesquière: Ni-co-la Guess-ki-air
46. Olivier Theyskens: Oli-vier Tay-skins
47. Pierre Cardin: Pee-air Car-dain
48. Proenza Schouler: Pro-enza Skool-er
49. Ralph Lauren: Ralph Lauren (as in Lauren the girl’s name, not Sophia Loren)
50. Rei Kawakubo: Ray Kah-wah-koo-bo
51. Rodarte: Ro-dar-tay
52. 6267: Six-two-six-seven (not Sixty-two-sixty-seven)
53. Sonia Rykiel: Sonia Ree-kee-eel
54. Sophia Kokosalaki: So-fee-a Ko-ko-sah-lah-kee
55. Thakoon: Ta-koon
56. Thierry Mugler: Tee-air-ree Moog-lay
57. Tibi: Tbi (not Tee-bee)
58. Tocca: Toe-ka
59. Versace: Ver-sah-chee
60. Vionnet: Vee-oh-nay
61. Yohji Yamamoto: Yo-jee Ya-ma-mo-to
62. Yves Saint Laurent: Eve San Lor-ron
63. Zac Posen: Poe-zen


"Mission: How do you pronounce that designer’s name?" The Chic Spy. Thechicspy, June 2008. Web. 17 Dec. 2009. .www.thechicspy.wordpress.com


P.S: I'm not sure why they are numbered in orders.