Filippo Sorcinelli created his first garment for the late Pope Francis in 2013. When the call came from the Office for the Liturgical Celebrations of the Supreme Pontiff, the master tailor and artist was both surprised and moved. The task had to be completed in an extremely short time, following the Pope’s exact instructions. Drawing inspiration from a recent visit to the Vatican, Sorcinelli designed a simple cream, white, and gold piece for Pope Francis’ historic first Mass as Pontiff.

“The news of Pope Francis’s death brought me deep sorrow,” Sorcinelli tells Vogue. “For a Christian like me, the Pope is a central pillar of life.” Pope Francis, now lying in state in St. Peter’s Basilica ahead of his funeral on Saturday, April 26, wears a white silk and gold-trimmed mitre crafted by Sorcinelli’s Atelier Lavs. Over the years, Sorcinelli’s designs have mirrored the late Pope’s humble nature, with garments inspired by Italian Renaissance painter Giotto’s medieval frescoes—particularly those in Assisi, honoring the saint whose name the Pope chose.

Sorcinelli, an Italian artist from Mondolfo in the Marche region, grew up in a family of weavers and seamstresses. Beyond designing vestments, he is also a perfumer, photographer, and painter. At 13, he became an organist in cathedrals across Fano, Rimini, and San Benedetto del Tronto. He later studied sacred art and historical weaving at the Museo del Tessuto in Prato. In 2018, the Diocesan Museum of Milan showcased a retrospective of his work, and in 2021, he received the Art and Liturgy Prize for innovation in sacred vestments from the Pontifical Liturgical Institute.

Today, Sorcinelli is a tall, stylish, tattooed gay man who dresses in sleek black suits, draped shirts, and work pants. His atelier is located in Santarcangelo di Romagna, a village in Rimini. Faith has always been central to his life. “I carry in my heart my earliest memories as a child—accompanying my mother to clean our hometown parish church,” he says. “Those simple, humble moments held deep meaning and shaped my life. Imagine a child’s wonder in an ancient church, surrounded by art, faith, fabrics, incense, and music… everything spoke of beauty.”

“To have faith, for me, is to embrace this human richness. Creating sacred art today means sharing that message with the world. I wouldn’t be who I am without those experiences.”

In 2001, at 23, Sorcinelli received an unexpected call from an old friend announcing his ordination as a priest. “I immediately said, ‘Don’t buy anything—I’ll design your first vestment myself!’” he recalls.

“Instantly, I thought of my childhood moments in the sacristy, and I knew the style that best represented me came from the Middle Ages—its architecture, sculpture, and painting. That era’s symbolism, form, and geometry avoid mere decoration.” When the Archbishop of Genoa wore one of his designs in a televised service in 2003, orders poured in from Catholic liturgies worldwide. Today, the atelier operates mostly on commissions.

Sorcinelli’s bold designs stand out in modern liturgical fashion for their medieval influence, reinterpreted with contemporary materials and techniques. Over nearly 25 years, Sorcinelli has…He aimed to create clothing that aligns with the spirit of the Church. “We have deep respect for the Church, our main client, and understand that we’re not just designing theatrical costumes,” he says.

In 2007, he started designing robes for Pope Benedict XVI, crafting over 50 intricate garments during his papacy—each reflecting a very different style from his successor. For Sorcinelli, it’s essential to capture the unique sensibilities of each Pope. He has always worked with the Vatican office on the details of the Pope’s vestments rather than consulting the Pope directly (though some bolder designs have been rejected). Still, he has had informal meetings with both Benedict and Francis. “They happened, but I keep those moments private,” he says.

“Over time, I’ve learned to sense Pope Francis’s personality and preferences,” he explains.

One of his favorite creations for Francis was the robe worn during the apostolic journey to L’Aquila and the concluding Mass. “I was there for the opening of the Holy Door at the Basilica of Collemaggio—something I rarely attend,” he recalls. It was an emotional experience. He arrived at 4 a.m. to prepare the vestments in the room where the Pope would dress. The design embodied “noble simplicity,” a principle emphasized by the Second Vatican Council and cherished by Pope Francis.

Fashion evolves with culture, technology, and social change—even within sacred institutions. Sorcinelli insists on using only Italian silks and wools and resists excessive modernization. “There’s a risk of losing the timeless, eternal quality that sacred rituals convey through beauty,” he says.

In sacred art, “transcending the ordinary” is crucial. “The Catholic Church must preserve its identity without fully adapting to the modern world,” Sorcinelli explains. “It means staying true to Christ’s teachings while engaging with society. The Church exists in the world but isn’t defined by it.”

The history of liturgical vestments is ancient and complex, with shifts in materials, styles, and symbolism over centuries.

“In the last 60 years, there’s been experimentation, but also a deeper study—not just of what a liturgical garment is, but its place in art history,” Sorcinelli notes. Today, workshops worldwide create vestments for clergy at all levels.

“I’ve always seen creation as service: offering yourself, understanding your work can become a mission filled with meaning,” he says. “It’s about seeing craftsmanship as an extension of faith. That must always come before aesthetics or provocation. Again, we’re not making costumes—we’re crafting sacred garments.”

Beyond vestments, Sorcinelli has run his luxury perfume brand, UNUM, since 2013. His first fragrance, LAVS, evokes a dimly lit chapel with its spicy, oak-infused scent—similar to what he once sprayed on papal robes. Others in his collection are more playful, like Slightly-b!tch, a bold leather-citrus blend. For him, perfume connects to ritual: “Fragrance has roots in liturgy, in the need to describe the divine. The Bible is full of moments where scent symbolizes transcendence, prayer, even human drama. For me, it’s another way to express my faith in every aspect of life.”Sorcinelli blends his liturgical designs, the queer and sensual aspects of his work, his identity, and his faith, remaining steadfast in reconciling his beliefs with his sexuality. “I am a man of faith, but I am not immune to pain or joy,” he says. “I long for respect, constantly battling the absurd tension between who I am and what others expect me to be. But one thing is certain: Perfume has set me free. And freedom isn’t just doing whatever you want—it’s doing what you must. This often clashes with a church environment filled with labels, rituals, and yes, clichés.” Over the years, many gay priests have reached out to Sorcinelli, expressing gratitude for his openness.

He describes his relationship with faith and Catholicism today as “walking through a grand, abandoned cathedral. I recognize its majesty, the echo of ancient prayers, the beauty of its frescoes and arches, but I wander among the columns searching for something—perhaps a sound, a scent, a light.”

“Catholicism holds immense, complex, even contradictory meanings,” he continues. “Its millennia-old essence still touches people, even non-believers. It speaks of love, sacrifice, redemption, forgiveness—universal human experiences. But that’s precisely why it now faces a profound challenge: staying true to that depth without becoming rigid or exclusive.”

As for inclusivity? “The journey is far from over,” Sorcinelli says. He believes a faction of the Church, especially under Pope Francis, is genuinely striving to embrace more modern ideals. “Many places still make those who are different—in orientation, gender, or personal history—feel judged or excluded. For a religion founded on a God who dined with outcasts, that is a wound that demands healing.”

For now, Sorcinelli prefers to observe events from a distance and has no plans to see Pope Francis lie in state. “At this moment, I’d rather step back. I’m in a period of deep personal reflection, trying to understand the meaning behind this emotional state.”

He doesn’t yet know if he will design vestments for Pope Francis’s successor but intends to keep evolving his artistic practice across different mediums. “To be an artist, for me, is to live with an open wound that becomes language,” he says. “It’s a way of moving through the world with radical awareness—as if everything, even the smallest detail, could speak, reveal, or resonate with meaning.”