Imagine you’re making your very first red carpet appearance. “Finally,” you think, “I’ve made it.”
You’re thrilled to be there, mixing and mingling with your idols, but you’re also so nervous you’re slightly concerned those nightmares about wetting yourself in public are about to become reality. Then you’re approached by an attractive reporter and she asks the inevitable question: Who are you wearing?
This is it. The make or break moment. You’re either about to solidify your status as a new red carpet superstar or become a laughingstock on YouTube. If we have anything to say about it, you’ll be option #1.
“I’m wearing Lewis Vooton,” you reply. Yikes.
Okay, so that exact situation probably won’t come up anytime soon, but you should still know how to pronounce your favourite brand names correctly. Before you earn yourself those accidental 15 minutes of dubious YouTube fame, brush up on your luxury brand name pronunciations.
A. Lange & Sohne: ah LAHN-guh und ZO-nuh
Ann Demeulemeester: ann de-MULE-eh-mee-ster
Audemars Piguet: AWE-duh-mahr PEE-gay
Baume & Mercier: BOWM ay MURSE-ee-ay
Breitling: BRITE-ling
Bulgari: BUL-guh-ree
Buscemi: boo-SEHM-ee
Balenciaga: bah-len-see-AH-gah
Christian Louboutin: Christian LOO-BOO-ton
Comme Des Garcons: comb day gar-SAWN (soft ‘n’)
Dolce & Gabbana: dol-Chey and ga-bana
Ermenegildo Zegna: ehr-men-a-JHIL-doh ZEN-yah
Façonnable: fah-so-NAH-bluh
Giuseppe Zanotti: joo-ZEPP-ee zan-OTT-ee
Givenchy: jhee-von-SHEE
Girard Perregaux: Gee-rard PEER-RE-GO
Hermès: ehr-MEZ
Hublot: OOH-blow
Jaeger-LeCoultre: zhey-ZHER leh-KOOLT
Junya Watanabe: JOON-ya wah-tah-NAH-bay
Kris Van Assche: kris van ASH
Lanvin: lahn-vahn (soft ‘n’)
Longines: LAWNG-zheen
Loro Piana: LOHR-oh pee-AHN-ah
Louis Vuitton: LOO-ee VWEE-ton
Maison Kitsuné: MAY-zohn kit-soo-NAY
Maison Martin Margiela: may-SOHN mar-tin mar-JHEL-ah
Moncler: MON-kler
Montblanc: MON-blaun
Nike: Ni-KEY
Piaget: PEE-ah-ZHAY
Roger Dubuis: Roger Du-BWEE
Saint Laurent: san luh-RAWN (soft ‘n’)
TAG Heuer: TAG-HOY-er
Tudor: CHEW-dor
Vacheron Constantin: VASH-er-ahn kon-stan-TAN (soft ‘n’)
Vilebrequin: VIL-bra-ken (soft ‘n’)
Yves Saint Laurent: Eve san luh-RAWN