Are You Pronouncing These Designers All Wrong?

I watch a lot of YouTube. And unsurprisingly, I primarily view fashion and beauty vloggers. But something that surprises me is when I see these people (whose jobs are basically in the industry) showing products from certain designers and mispronouncing or giving up on the brand name. I get it — learning how to pronounce designer names is hard. There are a fair amount of confusing names in the fashion-and-beauty world, especially if you grew up with a different first language than theirs. But if we're going to talk about designers, I think it fair that we try our best to say them correctly. And maybe I'm just a little salty because whenever people in America see my name, they more often than not say it with a pronunciation that sounds like Mikey rather than Mickey. But I understand. My name isn't English, so native English-speakers can only guess.

But at least I can set the record straight when my name is mispronounced (thanks, Starbucks). Designers can't always do that. (Their names are said way more often.) And if you've always wondered whether Givenchy has a hard or soft "G," with Fashion Week(s) quickly approaching, now's the best time to make sure you've got those hard-to-handle pronunciations down. So if designer names make you wish you had a Hermione around to be all like, "it's leh-vee-OH-sah, no leh-vee-oh-SAH," I'm here to fill in as best I can. Let's begin, shall we?

ALTUZARRA: (ahl-too-ZAH-rah)

ANNA SUI: (anna swee)

BADGLEY MISHKA: (BADGE-lee MEESH-kah)

BALENCIAGA: (bah-len-see-AH-gah)

BALMAIN: (BAHL-mahn)

BOTTEGA VENETA: (boh-TEH-gah VEHN-eh-tah)

BVLGARI: (BOOL-gah-ree)

CHRISTIAN LOUBOUTIN: (christian loo-boo-TAHN)

COMME DES GARCONS: (cohm dey gar-SOHN)

GIVENCHY: (zjee-vohn-SHEE)

HERMES: (air-MEHZ)

HERVE LEGER: (air-VAY leh-ZJAY)

ISSEY MIYAKE: (ees-sey mee-yah-kay)

JEAN PAUL GAULTIER: (zjawn paul GOH-tee-ay)

LANVIN: (lahn-VAHN)

LOEWE: (LOH-weh-vay)

LOUIS VUITTON: (loo-EE VWEE-tahn)

MARCHESA: (mar-KAY-zah)

MONIQUE LHUILLIER: (monique le-HOO-lee-ay)

MOSCHINO: (mohs-KEE-noh)

OLIVIER THEYSKENS: (oh-LIV-ee-ay TEHS-kenz)

PRABAL GURUNG: (PRUH-bul GOOH-roong)

PROENZA SCHOULER: (pro-EHN-za SKOOL-er)

ROCHAS: (roh-SHAHS)

RODARTE: (roh-DAR-tay)

ROKSANDA ILINCIC: (rahk-SAHN-da ih-LIN-chick)

SAINT LAURENT: (san loh-rahn)

SCHIAPARELLI: (sky-ah-puh-rehl-ee)

THIERRY MUGLER: (teer-EE muh-glur)

VERSACE: (vair-SAH-chey)

Images: Getty Images (3); Giphy (1)