Parlez-vous fashion?

If you’ve been avoiding an haute couture [oat ko-tour] purchase because you fear a fashion mis-statement, then follow along for a phonetic tutorial. 

No need to memorize the lot…you’ll always be able to find this list stored in our post archives, just to the right of this blog, as a long-term reference guide.

I consider it a dynamic, ever-growing list.  So, if you have a pronunciation request, please send a note via the comment section below.

Go forth, child of style, and be confident with that tricky designer vocab.

A

Atelier:   Ah-tell-ee-ay

Abaeté:  Ah-bye-ah-tay

Alber Elbaz of Lanvin:   Al-bear El-bah

Agnès B:   Ahn-yes Beh

Arthur Mendonça:   Arthur Men-doe-sa

Ann Demeulemeester:  Ann Deh-moo-lah-mee-ster

Allessandro Dell’Acqua:  Ala-sand-dro  Del-la-kwa

Alejandro Ingelmo:  Allay-handro In-gel-mo

Andrew Gn:   Andrew Jen 

Azzedine Alaïa:   Azza-deen  Alah-ya

Arthur Mendonça:   Ar-thur Men-doe-sa

Alessandro Dell'Acqua:   Ala-sand-roe del-la-kwa

Anna Sui:   An-na Swee [avoid: Soo-ee]

B

Bvlgari- Bool-gah-ree

Bally:  Bah-li

Byblos:  Beeb-los

Boucheron:  Boo-ke-ron

Baume & Mercier:   Bom-ee  Mer-SEE-yay

Bruno Magli: Brooon-oh Mah-li

Badgley Mischka:  Badge-lee Meesh-ka

Balenciaga:  Bah-len-see-ah-ga

Behnaz Sarafpour:  Beh-naz sah-rah-furr

Bibhu:   Be-poo Mo-ha-pat-tra

Bottega Veneta: Bo-tega Ven-e-ta

Bulgari: Ball-gah-ree

Burberry Prorsum: Bur-bur-ree Pour-some

Balmain: Bal-mah

Byblos:  Bib-loss

C

Cartier:        Kar-tee-aye

Cacharel:    Cash-er-el

Celine:        Seh-lyn

Chopard:         Sho-parr

Clarins:         Clarans

Cerruti:         Cher-roo-tee

Chaiken:     Chay-ken

Charriol:         SHA-ri-yol

Chanel:     Shuh-nel

Chloé:         Kloh-eh

Cynthia Rowley:   Cynthia Rao-li

Costume National:     Kos-tume Nah-sho-nal

Carolina Herrera:    Caro-lee-na  Ay-reh-ra

Cesare Paciotti:     Chez-a-ray Patch-ott-ee

Christian Louboutin: Krish-tan Loo-boo-tahn

Christian Dior:        Krish-tan Dee-oar

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COMME des GARÇONS: Com-day Gar-soh

Christian Lacroix: Kris-tian La-kwah

D

Dolce & Gabbana: Dole-chay Gah-bah-nah

DSquared2: Dee-squared

Donna Karan: Donna Karen

Diane von Furstenberg- Dy-ann  von  Fur-sten-berg

Dior Homme: Dee-oar  Om

Dries Van Noten- Dreeze  Van  Know-ten

E

Ermenegildo Zegna: Air-menah-jil-do Zane-ya

Etro: Eh-tro

Elie Saab:  Eh-li Zahb

Emporio Armani:     Em-pohr-yo  Ar-mah-ni

Etienne Aigner- Eh-tee-yeh  On-yay

Emilio Pucci: EH-mee-lio Poo-chee

F

Fendi: Fend-ee

Furla: Fer-luh

Façonnable:   Fah-so-nahb

G

Georg Jensen:   Jorg Yen-sen

Gareth Pugh: Gar-eth Pew

Guerlain:     Gher-lahn

Givenchy: Jhee-von-she

Giambattista Valli: Jahm-battista Val-ee

Gilles Mendel:    Zheel Men-dell

Giorgio Armani:  Jior-jio Ar-mah-ni

Gianfranco Ferre: Jyan-franco Fair-reh

Giuseppe Zanotti: Joo-zepp-ee  Zan-ott-ee

Gucci: Goo-chee

Guy Laroche: Gee La-roash

H

Hedi Slimane: Eddy Sli-mahn

Hermès: Air-mehz // Or just as acceptable: Er-may

Hervé Léger: Er-vay Leh-zjay

Hussein Chalayan: Who-sane Sha-lon

I

Isabel Marant:  Ees-ah-bell  Mar-awnt

Issey Miyake:  Ee-say Me-Yah-Kee

Izod:   Eye-zod

J

J. Mendel:   Jay Men-dell

James Perse:  James Purse

Jaeger-Lecoultre:    Yay-ger Leh-koot

Jimmy Choo:  Jim-ee Chew

John Varvatos:  John var-vay-toes

Jaeger:  YAY-guhr

Jean Paul Gaultier:  Zhawn Paul Go-tee-ay

Junya Watanabe:  Joon-ya Wah-tah-nah-bay

K

Kerastase:     Keh-rah-stahs   

Kris Van Assche:  Chris  Van Ash

L

Lacroix:  La-kwah

Lanvin:  Lon-vahn

Longchamp:   Long-shum

Longines:     LOHN-jeens

Lancome:     Lan-kom

L’Occitane:   Lok-si-tan

L’Wren Scott:  Le-ren  Skot

Lambertson Truex:  Lam-bert-son  Tru-ex

Louis Feraud:  Loo-wee Feh-roh

Louis Vuitton:  Lou-ee Veh-tahn

M

Marchesa:  Mar-kay-sa

Manolo Blahnik:  Ma-NO-low BLAH-nick

Madame Gres:   Mah-dam gray

Mainbocher:   Mayn-bo-shay

Missoni:   Miss-oh-nee

Maison Martin Margiela:   Maze-on  Mar-tin  Mar-ghel-a

Moschino:   Mos-keen-o

Miu Miu:   Mew-Mew

Monique Lhullier:   Mo-neek Loo-lee-ay

N

Narciso Rodriguez:   Nar-siss-so Ro-dree-gez

Nicolas Ghesquière: Ni-co-la Guess-ki-air

O

Olivier Theyskens:  Oh-liv-ee-a  Tay-skin

Oscar de la Renta:  Os-car deh-la Ren-ta

P

Prada:    Prah-da

Piaget:   Pya-jay

Poleci:   Policy

Peter Som:   Peter Sahm

Pierre Cardin:  Pee-ay Kah-dan

Piazza Sempione:  Pi-yat-za  Sem-pi-yo-ni

Proenza Schouler:  Pro-enza Skool-er

R

Robert Clergerie: Roh-bear Claire-jer-ee

Ralph Lauren: Ralph LORR-uhn [avoid: Loren, as in Sophia]

Rochas: Ro-chass

Roger Vivier:  Ro-jay Viv-ee-AY

Rodarte: Ro-dart-tay

Raf Simons: Rauph  See-mon

S

Salvatore Ferragamo:  Sal-vah-tor-ay Fer-ah-gah-moh

Sonia Rykiel:   Sonia Ree-kee-el

Shu Uemura:   Shoe Ooh-eh-moorah

Swarovski:   Swore-off-ski

Saucony:     Sock-a-nee

T

Thakoon:  Ta-koon

Thierry Mugler:  Tee-air-ree Moog-lay

Tibi:   Tbi  [avoid Tee-bee]

Tag Heuer:  Tag Ho-yer

Tocca:   Toe-ka

U

Ungaro:  Oon-ga-ro

V

Vivienne Westwood:   Viv-ee-enne West-wood

Versace:   Ver-sah-chay

Vionnet:    Vee-ohn-ay

Y

Yves Saint Laurent:  Eve-sahn  Lore-rahn

YSL Rive Gauche:   YSL Reev Gosh

Yohji Yamamoto:     Yo-jee Ya-ma-mo-to

Z

Zac Posen:  Zak  Poe-zen

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For more fashion news and notes from Heather Dunhill, follow her on Twitter @heatherDUNHILL.

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