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Wednesday, April 08, 2015

How to Pronounce 53 Fashion Designer Names

How to Pronounce 53 Fashion Designer Names:

"Seriously, HOW do you pronounce Olivier Rousteing?" Screengrab: "Fancy" by Iggy Azalea
"Seriously, HOW do you pronounce Olivier Rousteing?" Screengrab: "Fancy" by Iggy Azalea
It's always kind of awkward when you're in the midst of a passionate discussion of, say, Nicolas Ghesquière's latest collection for Louis Vuitton or Kate Middleton's closet full of Roksanda Ilincic dresses and — cringe — you totally massacre the pronunciation of the designer's name. (Don't feel bad. I remember going to a Fashion's Night Out press conference back in 2010, and then-Mayor Michael Bloomberg repeatedly referred to Prabal Gurung as "Proo-bull Gare-ung" — all while addressing a roomful of fashion designers. Even billionaire politicians sometimes mangle fashion designer names.)

Of course, at this point, you're adept at articulating all the actual design house monikers —  Loo-ee Vyee-tahn, duh — but the actual designers' names can still cause some perplexing situations or lively debates (like, is it Roksanda Ill-in-chick or Ill-in-chich?!).

So to help you never fake your way around verbalizing "Olivier Rousteing" ever again ("Olivier, um, Rou...eh...mmph," totally been there), we've rounded up a comprehensive list of designer names with easy-to-sound-out, phonetic pronunciations below.

"Okay ladies, for the last time, it's RHOOS-TAIN." Olivier Rousteing holds court at the Balmain fall 2015 runway show after-party. Photo: Jacopo Raule/Getty Images 
"Okay ladies, for the last time, it's RHOOS-TAIN." Olivier Rousteing holds court at the Balmain fall 2015 runway show after-party. Photo: Jacopo Raule/Getty Images 
Adrien Caillaudaud, artistic director, Carven: ai-dree-en kai-oh-dough

Alber Elbaz, creative director, Lanvin: ahl-bare el-bahz

Alessandro Michele, creative director, Gucci: a-lay-san-dro me-kay-lay

Alexandre Vauthieraleks-andr vau-tee-aye

Alexis Martial, artistic director, Carven: al-ex-ee mar-she-ahl

Andrew Gn: andrew ghen (with a hard "g")

Ann Demeulemeester: ann de-mule-eh-meester

Anthony Vaccarello, creative director, Versus: an-to-nee vah-kah-reh-lo

Ariel Ovadia, co-founder, Ovadia & Sons: are-ee-el oh-vah-dya

Carin Rodebjer, founder and creative director, Rodebjer: kaar-in ro-duh-beer

Christian Wijnantskri-stee-ahn vine-ants (but, FYI, he's happy with "wine-ants," too, because Wijnants means "wine merchant" in Flemish)

Christophe Lemaire, founder and designer, Lemaire: kree-stoff le-mair

Christopher De Vos, designer and partner, Peter Pilotto: kris-tuh-fer de-voes

Consuelo Castiglioni, creative director, Marni: con-sway-lo cas-tig-lee-oh-nee

Dao-Yi Chow, designer and co-founder, Public School: dao-wee chow

Duro Olowudure-oh o-low-woo

Erdem Moralioglu, designer, Erdem: er- dem moralee-oh-glue

Ermanno Scervinoerr-mah-no sher-vee-no

Fausto Puglisifao-sto poo-yee-zee

Francesco Scognamiglio: fran-ces-ko- sko-gna-mi-glio

Haider Ackermann: ay-der ak-er-man

Hedi Slimane, creative director, Saint Laurent Paris: ed-ee slim-ahn

Hussein Chalayan: hu-se-in cha-la-yan

Jonathan Simkhai: jon-a-thon sim-ky (like "eye")

Josep Font, creative director, Delpozo: joe-sep font

Joseph Altuzarra, designer and founder, Altuzarra: joe-sef ull-too-zah-ra

Maria Grazia Chiuri, creative director, Valentino: maria grah-tzia key-yuri

Markus Lupfer: mar-kus lupp-fur (as in "up" and fur, like, "animal fur")

Marta Marques, co-founder, Marques'Almeida: mar-ta mar-kes

Mary Katrantzou: mar-ee ka-tran-zoo

Massimo Giorgetti, creative director, Pucci and founder, MSGM: mas-ee-moe george-eh-tee

Misha Nonoo: mee-sha new-new (like, "old old, new new")

Nadège Vanhee-Cybulski, creative director, Hermès: nah-dej van-hee sy-bool-ski

Nicolas Ghesquière, artistic director of women's collections, Louis Vuitton: nee-ko-la jes-ke-air (with a soft "j")

Olivier Rousteing, creative director, Balmain: oh-liv-ee-aye rhoos-tain

Paulo Almeida, co-founder, Marques'Almeida: pow-lo al-may-da

Phoebe Philo, creative director, Céline: fee-bee file-oh

Pierpaolo Piccioli, creative director, Valentino: pier-paolo pea-shioli

Prabal Gurung: prah-bull (like "trouble") goo-roong

Raf Simons, creative director, Christian Dior: rauf see-mon

Riccardo Tisci, creative director, Givenchy: rik-ar-do tish-ee

Robert Tagliapietra, designer and co-founder, Costello Tagliapietra: ro-bert tag-lee-ya-pee-ay-tra

Roksanda Ilincic, designer and founder, Roksanda: rock-sand-a ill-in-chich

Ryan Roche: rye-an rowsh

Shimon Ovadia, co-founder, Ovadia & Sons: shim-ohn oh-vah-dya

Simon Porte Jacquemus, designer and founder, Jacquemus: see-mohn port jahk-muhss

Simone Rochasee-mone ro-sha

Tadashi Shoji: ta-da-shee sho-jee

Thakoon Panichgul, designer and founder, Thakoon: tah-koon pah-nich-gull

Thea Bregazzi, designer and co-founder, Preen: thee-ah bru-gahz-ee

Timo Weiland, designer and co-founder, Timo Weiland: tee-mo why-land

Veronique Branquinhover-on-neek brahn-kin-oh

Yigal Azrouëlyee-gal ahz-roo-el

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