With Her Campus’s “Parlez-Vous Fashion?” you tackled (and conquered, we hope!) the pronunciation of major fashion designers, fine jewelry houses, and important brands. Now it’s time for more! Her Campus added to that list of designers you might avoid naming for fear of mispronouncing them, usually to steer clear of a cringe-worthy situation like HC Contributing Writer Anne’s:
“I worked at Rag & Bone this summer in New York and, as an English major, I was one of the only non-fashion students interning. One day, the interns were all discussing Paris Fashion Week and I tried to say something insightful about the Givenchy collection—only I pronounced ‘Givenchy’ as I read it: “Give-in-chee.” My coworkers looked at me, horrified. ‘It’s Gee-von-shee,’ one of them said quickly. Everyone was obviously embarrassed for me. I played it off, but I immediately looked up how to pronounce all of the Paris designers’ names when I got home!” -Anne, The College of William & Mary
Sound familiar? Fear not, collegiettes. Mastering the pronunciation of the design elite can be easy with this Her Campus guide. Read on, and conquer the fashion world one designer at a time!
Balmain
Balmain, founded in 1945 by Pierre Balmain, dresses what NY Magazine calls “the trendsetting French party-girl.” The Spring 2011 RTW collection showcased studded biker jackets, edgy cutoffs, and corset tops. Pronunciation? Easy. “Bal” rhymes with “wall”, not with the Cal in California. The second syllable, “main,” is stressed and it is pronounced without the “n”. A similar sound? “Meh,” but with a hard finish. Balmain = “Ball-meh.”
Nicolas Ghesquière
Nicolas Ghesquière is currently the creative director for Balenciaga and according to writer Kate Betts for Time Magazine, Ghesquière’s “ability to wow the front-row crowd with a heady blend of street style and historical reverence is unparalleled.” When pronouncing, keep in mind that Nicolas is not pronounced like “Nick.” Instead, pronounce the “i” as “ee.” Also, the “s” is silent. Nicolas = “Nee-co-la.” Ghesquière, intimidating on the onset, can be broken down into three easy syllables: “Ghes” or “guess”, “qui” or “key”, and “ère” or “air.” Make sure “air” is pronounced without a hard “r”. Nicolas Ghesquière = “Nee-co-la Guess-key-air”
Anna Sui
Alex Kuczynski of the New York Times wrote there is “artistry in Ms. Sui’s art and fashion.” Bohemian and eccentric, while still glamorous and cool, Anna Sui’s designs are trendy and feminine with a little bit of edge! Think bold, retro prints, baby doll dresses, and handkerchief hemmed skirts. Anna is pronounced as you would read it, but there is a common mistake when pronouncing her last name. Sui = “Swee,” not “Soo-ee.” Anna Sui is “Anna Swee.”
Christian Lacroix
Lacroix, although a victim of the financial crisis in 2009, is extremely important to the global fashion arena. He is a French designer who rose to fame in the 1980s and Anne Slowey, in “Showgirl Style” for Elle, says he is known for “pouf skirts, embellished drapery, and folkloric mixes of colors such as hot pink and red.” Lacroix is “rarely able to resist a snug bodice, flaring skirt, or puff sleeve.” Pronunciation for Christian: “Chris” is said as you would normally say it, but “tian” is not pronounced as “chin” but “tee- eh(n).” Christian = “Chris-tee-eh(n).” Lacroix is a bit trickier- “La- kwah.” The “x” is not pronounced! Christian Lacroix, “Chris-tee-eh(n) La- kwah.”
Isabel Marant
Isabel Marant, another French designer, highlights minimalist, but feminine designs. Think short shorts paired with loose-fitting knits, short floral dresses, and strong, structured jackets—effortless chic at its finest! When pronouncing Isabel, the only difference here is the first “is” sound; instead of “iz” say “ees.” Isabel = “Ees-ah-bell.” “Mar” rhymes with “car” but keep the “r” soft. For “ant,” think of saying “awnt,” not like the insect and without the hard “t” at the end. Stress this syllable rather than the first. Isabel Marant = “Ees-ah-beel Mar-awn(t)”
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Moschino
An Italian label founded in 1983, Moschino is known for its eccentricity and innovation. It’s possible you recognize the name from the Moschino belt that was seen on many fashion blogs! The Spring 2011 collection highlights red and blue polka dots, stripes, turban scarves, and pants suits, and sometimes all in one outfit. In my experiences in four semesters of Italian, it is an Italian professor’s worst nightmare when a student mispronounces “chi.” “Chi,” in Italian, is always pronounced as “key.” Moschino = “Moss- key- no,” with stress on “key.”
Monique Lhuillier
You’ve probably heard celebrities praise Monique Lhuillier during their red carpet interviews. Monique Lhuillier & Company is known for its evening and bridal gowns. She is, as Meenal Mistry of Style.com says, the “queen of the night.” Her Spring 2011 RTW Runway showcased gowns and cocktail dresses in slender metallics, bold colors, and some in a cherry blossom printed silk organza. Monique is said just as you would normally pronounce it. Lhuillier is somewhat of a tongue-twister: Lhuillier= “Loo-lee-yay.”
Rodarte
Rodarte, created by sisters Kate and Laura Mulleavy, is a relatively new label that was founded in 2005. The name “Rodarte” is the Mulleavy’s mother’s maiden name, of Spanish origin. They designed Natalie Portman’s gorgeous ballerina costumes in Black Swan and received a Critics Choice nomination for their work. The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s “blog.mode: addressing fashion,” says that “their dresses are characterized by an obsessional attention to detail.” They are invested in “movement and swing, and the house’s favored organzas and chiffons are painstakingly worked to emphasis their fluttering ethereality.” Their Spring 2011 RTW collection included structured hourglass dresses with cutaway shoulders, cropped jackets, and pleaded trousers in shades of brown and gold. Pronouncing Rodarte? I will admit I never knew whether to say “ay” at the end or not but it’s true—when saying Rodarte, all three syllables are pronounced. Rodarte = “Ro-dar-tay.”
Sources:
http://nymag.com/fashion/
http://nymag.com/fashion/
http://nymag.com/fashion/
http://nymag.com/fashion/
http://nymag.com/fashion/
http://nymag.com/fashion/
http://nymag.com/fashion/
http://www.time.com/time/
http://www.reviewjournal.com/
http://blog.metmuseum.org/
http://www.elle.com/Fashion/