We all make mistakes. Turns out, your biggest fashion faux pas might actually be how you pronounce your favourite brands. At first blush, it could seem pretentious to place any importance on how you say the name of a luxury fashion brand. But the truth is, these labels are the namesakes of real people and cultures. So let’s pay our respects with a quick linguistics lesson in fashion.
Zara
Pronounced: Dzah-dah
That’s right. All this time, you thought the pronunciation debate was over “Zair-ah” or “Zahr-ah.” It’s neither. Truth is, there’s absolutely no “r” sound in the name.
Hermès
Pronounced: Air-mez
Christian Louboutin
Pronounced: Kris-chee-yan Lou-bou-tawn
Moschino
Pronounced: Mos-key-no
Acne
Pronounced: Ak-nay
It’s a fashion brand, not a skin condition.
Marchesa
Pronounced: Mar-kay-za
Elie Saab
Pronounced: Ee-lee Saw-b
Versace
Pronounced: Vair-sah-chay
Adidas
Pronounced: AAH-dee-das
Adidas is German, named for its founder Adi Dassler. Many people incorrectly call it “uh-DEED-as.” But when pronouncing “Adidas,” you should emphasize the long “a” sound and not the “dee.” Like this.
Loewe
Pronounced: Low-ee-vay
Givenchy
Pronounced: Zjee-von-shee
Proenza Schouler
Pronounced: Pro-en-zuh Skool-er
Bvlgari
Pronounced: Bull-ghar-ee
As if the Romanesque “U”-as-a-“V” wasn’t enough to throw you off.
Lanvin
Pronounced: Lahn-vahn (ending with a soft ‘n’)
Balmain
Pronounced: Ball-mon (ending with a soft ‘n’)
Louis Vuitton
Pronounced: Loo-wee Vwee-tawn (remember…soft ‘n’)
Prabal Gurung
Pronounced: Prah-bull Goo-rong
Think of it like this: Prabal rhymes with bubble.
Have anything to add to our list? Let us know in the comments!
Featured image from Huffington Post.
