Have you ever wondered who’s behind the pope’s impeccable — and sometimes extravagant — wardrobe? Meet Filippo Sorcinelli, the creative force bringing couture to the heart of the Vatican.
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Who Is Filippo Sorcinelli, Designer to the Popes?
Filippo Sorcinelli is an Italian designer who has revolutionized liturgical fashion. He’s the founder of Atelier LAVS, a workshop specializing in sacramental garments and accessories where tradition meets modernity. His style draws from sacred art and medieval aesthetics, infused with a contemporary edge that has set new trends both inside and outside the Church.
Sorcinelli has designed vestments for both Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis. For Francis, he crafted more than 20 pieces, including the one the pontiff wore during his inaugural Mass in 2013. For Benedict XVI, he created nearly 50 garments, some worn at key historical moments of his papacy.
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What sets Sorcinelli apart is his obsessive attention to materials and his fully artisanal approach. His creations feature fine fabrics, intricate embroidery, and symbolic details that reflect each pope’s spiritual identity. For Francis, for example, Sorcinelli leaned into a simpler aesthetic, inspired by Giotto’s frescoes, vibrant colors, and natural motifs.
Although he became famous for religious fashion, Sorcinelli’s journey actually began as an organist, sparking his lifelong fascination with liturgical aesthetics. In 2001, he founded Atelier LAVS, and soon after, caught the attention of the Vatican’s Office for Liturgical Celebrations, opening the door to dressing the popes.
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Beyond fashion, Sorcinelli is also a musician and perfumer. In 2014, he launched a fragrance line inspired by Gothic art and Catholic liturgy, solidifying his signature creative style that fuses art, faith, and fashion into a single, visionary universe.
This article was originally written in Spanish by Alan Cruz in Cultura Colectiva.
