Designer pronunciation: from Balmain to Givenchy, how to say 35 commonly mispronounced fashion names

It's time to learn your mwee-mwee from your mew-mew
Charlie Teather18 October 2016

Now that fashion month is over, have you been finding yourself tripping over your words when trying to pronounce certain fashion houses and designer names?

You're not alone, and while many may be happy to go on talking about how much they loved the 'Bal-mane', 'Gih-vin-chee' and 'Vet-eh-ment' shows this season with careless lingual abandonment, we'd hate you to be worried about such phonetic fashion embarassment.

So - and you can thank us later - we've put together the ultimate cheat sheet of the most commonly mispronounced names in the fashion industry.

And let's hope that's the last time you rhyme Hermès with herpes.

1. Anna Sui: anna swee

2. Aquazurra: ah-kwa-zoor-uh

3. Azzedine Alaia: azz-eh-deen ah-lie-ah

4. Balenciaga: bah-len-see-ah-gah

5. Balmain: bahl-mahhhhn

6. Bottega Veneta: bow-tay-guh vah-netta

7. Christian Louboutin: kreest-yahn loo-boo-tahn

8. Comme des Garçons: comb day gah-sohn

9. Courrèges: koor-ahj

10. Demna Gvasalia: deem-na va-sah-lee-ah

11. Dries Van Noten: drees van know-ten

12. Elsa Schiaparelli: el-sa skap-uh-rell-ee

13. Giambattista Valli: gee-am-bah-tee-stah vah-lee

14. Givenchy: zjee-von-shee

15. Hedi Slimane: ed-ee slih-maan

16. Hermès: air-mez

17. Jean Paul Gaultier: zhon paul go-tee-ay

18. Lanvin: lahn-vahn

19. Loewe: low-eh-vay

20. Louis Vuitton: loo-wee vwee-tahn

21. Maison Martin Margiela: may-zohn mar-tahn mar-jell-ah

22. Marchesa: mar-kay-zah

23. Marques'Almeida: mar-kus al-mee-duh

24. Miu Miu: mew-mew

25. Monique Lhuillier: monique lu-lee-ay

26. Moschino: mos-key-no

27. Nicolas Ghesquière: nee-ko-la guess-key-air

28. Proenza Schouler: pro-en-zah skool-er

29. Rochas: row-shahs

30. Rosie Assoulin: row-see ah-soo-lin

31. Rodarte: row-dar-tay

32. Roksanda Ilincic: rok-sahn-dah ih-lin-chick

33. Versace: vur-sah-chay

34. Vetements: vet-mohn

35. Yves Saint Laurent: eve san loh-rahn

London Fashion Week SS17 - street style

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Follow Charlie Teather on Twitter @charlieteather

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