Filippo Sorcinelli, known as the “designer of the Popes,” has created many of the sacred vestments worn by Pope Francis. Now, his careful gaze is set on the new pontificate of Leo XIV. In this interview, he reflects on an art that strikes a balance between liturgy and poetry.
On Working as a Tailor for the Vatican
You had the opportunity to create vestments for the late Pope Francis. What did that mean to you?
Designing vestments for Pope Francis was a responsibility that went far beyond craftsmanship. It felt like sewing with the needle of history and the thread of the soul, trying to find a balance between evangelical simplicity and the dignity of the role. Simplicity is not a lack of aesthetics. Instead, it is a discipline that becomes poetry. Every chasuble held silent representations within it: white as light, gold as grace, the cut as the hug extended by the Church’s to the world.
His Relationship with Pope Francis
What kind of relationship did you have with Pope Francis regarding the vestments?
The relationship was mediated through the Office for Liturgical Celebrations, but every creative act started from an inner sense of freedom. It’s not business. It’s service. It is using beauty to reflect God.
Each sacred garment is born to communicate a spiritual whisper through its ornaments and colors.
The New Pontificate of Pope Leo XIV
There is a new Pope now. What does your work look like for Leo XIV?
Every pontificate is a liturgical season. With Leo XIV, the light changes, the silences change. He brings with him a sense of reverence and renewed tradition. My approach remains the same: listen, observe, respect. I study his gestures, his liturgical choices, his posture. Only then can the vestments become a story through which unity and apostolic continuity can be expressed.
What Makes a Vestment ‘Appropriate’ for a Pope
What defines a liturgical vestment as appropriate?
Pope Paul VI once said: “True beauty opens the doors to eternity.” As such, the vestment becomes a doorway to the Mystery. The Pope is a sign of the Church’s unity; his vestments must speak a language that is both universal and intimate. Every element, from the cut to the symbols, moves between theology, spirituality, and liturgy. Even the colors are theology: red is Spirit, white is incarnation and celebration. A vestment succeeds when it touches the hearts of the faithful and illuminates the rite without overshadowing it.
