Tongue Tied

Let's face it, basically everything about fashion designers is interesting. Their lives, their clothes, even their names. Their names just sound cool. They're so light and airy, they roll right off your tongue - IF you pronounce them correctly. If I'm being completely honest, I've definitely avoided saying certain designer names, worried that my southern drawl might butcher them as I try to sound out the syllables in my head. It's okay, we've all been there. It took me a while to master Givenchy, and I probably miss-pronounced Louis Vuitton for years (but really, I said voo-tahn forever).

Just because you're in the fashion industry doesn't mean you magically know how to pronounce every designer's name. Sometimes you just need to hear someone else say it out loud first. You should, however, be interested in learning. In my personal experience, learning a foreign language helped immensely. Taking Italian courses made me feel more confident when taking a stab at those pesky, lesser-known names. Of course, it also never hurts to have a cheat sheet.

I present, Part One and Two of How to Pronounce Designer Names: 101 by Harper's Bazaar. Study up kids, you never know when there might be a real life pop quiz.

Click the images below for Part One and Two.