Designer Filippo Sorcinelli on dressing the last three popes – interview

Yves Saint Laurent famously once said that fashion fades, but style is eternal. For designer Filippo Sorcinelli, who fashions garments for one of the world’s most revered religious figures, that statement carries even greater weight. Having dressed three popes – Benedict, Francis and now Leo – for some of their most notable appearances for the better part of two decades, Sorcinelli, 50, is now affectionately known as the pope’s tailor, his intricately embroidered liturgical vestments akin to the finest of couture. Meet the man himself, however, and it is clear that he would rather be remembered for his faith than his work. Beyond their physical beauty, each of Sorcinelli’s creations is a manifestation of his own spirituality and dedication to a higher calling. All it takes to recognise this divine influence in his work, it appears, is to believe in a higher power yourself. “I would never be able to do this job if I didn’t have faith,” Sorcinelli tells me through a translator, dialling in from his office in Mondolfo, a municipality located in Italy’s Marche region. “In my line of work, you can always tell who has faith and who doesn’t. It’s a very distinct way of working.” Sorcinelli was only five years old when he was first drawn to religion, stepping foot inside a local church his mother was helping to clean and finding himself “fascinated by all the gold and art inside”. In the years since, his creative journey has been shaped, repeatedly, by his Catholic faith and what might even be termed divine intervention. Sorcinelli was raised in a family of seamstresses and learned the art of tailoring early on, but actually started out as an organist in cathedrals as a teenager before a phone call in his early twenties, from a friend who was soon to be ordained as a priest, changed his life forever. He was inspired not only to make vestments for his friend, but to turn to crafting liturgical garments full-time. Thus, his atelier, LAVS – an acronym for the Italian words Laboratorio Arte Vesti Sacre, which can also be read as the Latin word for “praise” – was born. Sorcinelli’s work has gone on to have a lasting impact on the style of the modern papacy – Pope Francis wore LAVS for his inaugural mass in 2013, and was dressed in a white silk and gold-trimmed mitre designed by the house for his funeral in 2025. His designs look not to worldly considerations for relevance, defying the trends and seasons of traditional fashion, but have inspired imitators all the same. Their timeless quality is not just because of the figures who wear them, but also because they draw on centuries of history in their artistry – Sorcinelli frequently channels the Middle Ages in his work, drawn to how religion inspired the greatest artists and artworks of that time. “It symbolises how strong the message is, that it can transcend fashion trends and always be ‘contemporary’, in a way,” Sorcinelli says of Catholicism’s hold on the public imagination. In recent years, interest has been heightened by high-profile events like the 2018 Met Gala, its theme inspired by Catholic dressing, and by the 2024 film Conclave. “It’s absolutely normal that fashion takes from religion,” Sorcinelli says. He is quick to draw the line, however, between the Catholic-inspired fashion you might see on the red carpet and the designs he creates. “They’re called sacred vestments, so sacred is the main word, and it’s something that cannot be transcended. It’s not something fashion can take from. It’s not something you can improvise because the message is not only strong, but sacred.” Much like the act of prayer, Sorcinelli’s way of working invites silence and solitude, and his inner sanctum largely insulates him from the whims of the world, including all the media attention his designs have earned in recent years. “The work that I do is very specific, [largely] commission-based,” he says, “and it doesn’t change at all.” Working at a more considered cadence than typical fashion designers, Sorcinelli warmly embraces that slow pace, speaking about his design practice like a religious ritual in itself. Nothing about global recognition or new-found fame has changed his motivations, but his creative impulses have only multiplied – like the Renaissance men who have preceded him, he dabbles in many trades, including photography, painting and perfumes, having overseen his own fragrance brand, Unum, since 2013. “I would like to do more,” he admits, “but I’m still thinking about how.” Sorcinelli thinks back to his younger days, long before his work reached the Vatican, when he was just a young man of faith seeking an outlet for his talents and passions. “I just understood that it was my mission in life to take these arts to the people,” he recalls. “The importance of a sacred art for humanity, [to show] that art can be a bridge to human nature, the soul, the higher things.” All his ventures continue to be inspired by this divine mission – Unum, for example, is derived from the very first scents Sorcinelli once used to spritz on papal garments before they were delivered. Faith, Sorcinelli insists, is not only what motivates his work but also what gives him peace and stability, even at a time when little feels particularly safe or certain. “The church has always been present for everyone, not just Catholics, and it’s present in all the places where there are wars,” he says, describing the current times we are living in as a pivotal moment for the church, when it can serve as a “grounding” force, a beacon of “hope for humanity”, and a source of security, as it has been for him. “At least in Europe, there’s a slow return to church [where] more people are going to mass, looking to the church to seek out hope … The church has always worked in this field of peace and the search for the roots of human nature.” In his usual black attire and tattoos, Sorcinelli doesn’t look like your typical Catholic church-goer. He’s also openly gay, which sparks conversation about what is still considered a taboo subject in the church. Though some progress towards LGBTQ+ inclusivity has been made in recent years, the Catholic Church’s official stance on homosexuality still sees it refusing to recognise same-sex marriages and maintaining that homosexual acts are inherently sinful. “Of course my faith was tested lots of times in recent years,” he says, alluding to an incident over a decade ago when a competing designer forcibly outed Sorcinelli’s sexuality to the world. Though the experience was anything but easy, Sorcinelli says his faith is “even stronger” for it today. “The church, usually, should be the most open place,” he continues. “It’s different with people who want to use the church for their own good. But it’s not the [fault of the] church, it’s always the people … I wasn’t surprised by the attack [on my sexuality]. I didn’t choose to be how I am, it’s not something I can change, and I live happily with that.” Similarly, Sorcinelli acknowledges how far the Catholic Church has yet to go in terms of embracing the LGBTQ+ community wholeheartedly, but says he isn’t trying to push the status quo just yet. “I have absolute respect for the church and have also always felt respect from the church,” he clarifies. “I’m not expecting the church to change completely in a few years, but still there’s nothing wrong with these two things. A man of faith can be a man of church and still live with his sexuality with no problem.” Most importantly, Sorcinelli says his faith hasn’t wavered in spite of the church’s slow-to-change attitudes. “I realised that my faith was more important than all these materialistic things,” he muses. “Faith always changes throughout your life. People change, the church can change – it’s changed a lot – and your faith can change, but it still remains. It’s not going to go away.” Among the many impressive pieces in Sorcinelli’s archives, including mitres made with exotic materials like red coral, and dazzling gemstones like topaz and crystal, the designer singles out the very first garment he made for Pope Benedict back in 2007 as his most memorable. “I actually think about my legacy every day,” he says, having designed more than 50 garments for the late pope and many more for his successors, Francis and Leo. We can surely have faith that his legacy is permanently entwined with the religious institution he has dedicated so many years of his life to.

Designer Filippo Sorcinelli on dressing the last three popes – interview

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Also a perfumer and organist, Sorcinelli says his work for Popes Benedict, Francis and now Leo is ultimately inspired by his Catholic faith

Also a perfumer and organist, Sorcinelli says his work for Popes Benedict, Francis and now Leo is ultimately inspired by his Catholic faith