How Do You Say...? Part Two! - Fashionista - Fashion Designers, Models, Shopping, Style

“Someone please feed Snejana.”

If you didn’t read that as “Snay-ahna”, then you need to read the rest of this post.

Having tackled designer name pronunciation last week, it’s time to move on to another fashion trick:

The crazy names of models!

Please note, our information comes from the way bookers, photographers, and the girls themselves say each others’ names - not the way one would say them, necessarily, if it were 400 years ago in a tiny Ukrainian village.

And by the end of this list, you’ll be so grateful for Hilary Rhoda.

—ANNA FIELDING GRIGGS

Agyness Deyn is Ag-ness Deen
Anja Rubik is An-ya (In most european languages Js are said like Ys)
Anouck Lepere is Ah-nook Le-pear
Behati Prinsloo is Bay-Ha-tea Prins-low
Bette Franke is Betty Frankie
Daiane Conterato is Day-ann
Daria Wer-bow-ee
Doutzen Kroes is Doubt-zin Krauss
Du Juan is Doo Yoo-en
Erin Wasson is Erin Wa-sun
Freja Beha Erichsen is Fray-a Bay-hah Eh-rich-suhn
Hye Park is Hi Park
Iekeliene Stange is Ee-kuh-lee-nah Stang
Irina Lazareanu is Ireena Laz-a-ree-nu
Liya Kebede is Lee-ah Ke-bay-day
Marija Vujovic is Ma-ree-ya Voo-yo-vich
Raquel Zimmermann is Ra-kel
Solange Wilvert is So-lawnj Weel-verrr
Tiuu Kiuk is T-yoo Ky-ouk

posted by guest

Jun 27, 2007 1:48PM

you guys are the best and the funniest!

posted by Phoebe

Jun 27, 2007 2:00PM

Are you sure that's how you say Doutzen's last name? I was always under the impression it was similar to the way it's spelled after reading magazines that explain the pronounciation of her first name, but not her last.

posted by Keisha

Jun 27, 2007 2:09PM

Didn't you see the Vogue article, Phoebe? They wrote her name out phonetically.

posted by Thalassa

Jun 27, 2007 2:24PM

Shouldn't Irina be Ireena Laz-a-ree-a-nu?

She's Romanian, right? If yes, then she should definitely be Laz-a-ree-a-nu.

Jun 27, 2007 2:32PM

"hye" should be pronounced sort of like "yeh" just with a "h" sound before it. but most korean names are mispronounced 90% of the time in the english speaking world anyway!

posted by Alex

Jun 27, 2007 3:18PM

Love this!!!!

Very good!!!!!!!!

posted by helen

Jun 27, 2007 3:49PM

guys, this is the second time you've misspelled Tiiu's name.

though i admit, the double-u looks pretty cool.

posted by Steven.

Jun 27, 2007 3:54PM

But, is it Dah-ri-yah, or Day-ri-ah?

posted by jdk

Jun 27, 2007 4:04PM

heya, guys.
snejana is read like "SNE-GAN-NA". SNE goes like in 'nest' or in 'chest' and that J is read like in "bourgouis" or "adagio" or "gianfranco". it's also written az ZH in ukrainian version of english spelling. so it goes like 'SNE(a)-G(zh)AN-NA' which, by the way, goes from russian (ukrainian) word SNEG (snow) and means snow girl.
and vogue russia insists that lazareanu is spelled like 'LAZA-RYA-NU'. that RYA goes like in ANYA.

posted by AFG

Jun 27, 2007 4:08PM

Dah-ri-yah, like the cartoon character.

Jun 27, 2007 4:09PM

Daria may be spelled 2 ways:
like Dah-Rya and then Rya is also spelled like in Anya
or Dah-Riah like in "Rio"
anyway DA is read with a long A like in the word 'cut' or 'dust'

Jun 27, 2007 6:14PM

I may not know how to spell Tiiu's name, but I know how to say it!

That's something, at least.

posted by Nathalie Wouters

Jun 27, 2007 7:34PM

I'm very sure Doutzen's last name is pronounced as Kroos!

Jun 27, 2007 8:10PM

hye is not hi...it's more of a h-yeh

posted by Fauchon Junkie

Jun 28, 2007 10:57AM

So has the eye adjusted or has someone ACTUALLY been feeding Snejana.

She no longer looks like her legs will break off at the knees walking down the runway. Stress fracture maybe, but not all the way through.