What is a Vokuhila in English?
After six years working as a translator in the fashion, beauty & lifestyle industry, here is something I’m finally ready to admit: up until very recently, I thought the German word Vokuhila, used for a haircut and a hemline, was actually the name of Viking-esque tribe with funky haircuts.
A Viking long boat not manned by members of the Vokuhila tribe …
Alas, I was wrong. But luckily this means I can save you from the same embarrassment. The German term Vokuhila does not come from a violent clan of pillagers and burner down-ers. It’s simply an acronym of the phrase Vorne Kurz Hinten Lang [EN: short at the front, long at the back]. Yes, it makes perfect sense and yes, I felt like a perfect idiot when I found out.
Now we've got that out of the way, let’s get to the important bit. How exactly do we translate Vokuhila into English?
A man with a Vokuhila or a mullet
The hairstyle, currently very popular with young men and characterised by short hair at the front and long hair at the back, is a mullet in English. There doesn’t seem to be much consensus about where the term mullet originates, though the OED logs its first mention in the Beastie Boys’ song Mullet Head in 1994(1).
The Vokuhila hemline is a bit trickier. In English, we would usually opt for the term dip hem. You rarely come across a mullet hem dress, though in an article from 2012 Jess Cartner-Morely, a fashion journalist at The Guardian, uses the term(2) and I trust her expertise. I’ve also noticed a growing use of the more general term asymmetric hem (schief) to also encompass Vokuhila hems.
With this in mind, if you’re translating a German to English product description and come across a Vokuhila hem, try to consult previous brand translations if possible – it’s always best to maintain consistency. If there’s nothing available, the choice is yours but I’d recommend going for dip hem.
If you’re a German fashion, beauty or lifestyle brand in need of English translation services, you can get in touch with me using the contact form on my website or by emailing me at geena@gerlinguist.com.
Sources:
(1) https://www.oed.com/dictionary/mullet_n9#
(2) https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2012/jul/13/how-to-dress-mullet-hems