It is a common mistake to assume that the name Depeche Mode is purely a translation from the French for 'fast fashion'. Where this error started is hard to establish but it is likely to have been through early (and now defunct) music sites. Through repetition, it is easy to see why this error still perpetuates across hundreds of sites. Plus the incorrect translation of Depeche Mode has a certain 80s feel about it. If MTV launched with Video Killed The Radio Star, why not have a band name that highlights the high turnover of 80s trends, ie Fast Fashion? Adding to this misconception was the existence of the band 'Fashion' (see below). As a visitor to 1980-89 pointed out, depeche means dispatch (or update, message or news), mode means fashion.

So Depeche Mode means Fashion News or Fashion Update. The confusion arises from someone remembering their high school French: the verb 'se depecher' means to hurry, which is probably where the 'fast' originates. So, Depeche Mode is named after the magazine and that name roughly translates as Fashion News. To the right is a picture of the magazine.