Who He is: Filippo Sorcinelli, is a multifaceted Italian artist whose work and persona intertwine spirituality, sensuality, and personal authenticity. Known for his sacred vestments and fragrances, he embodies a blend of tradition and modernity, challenging conventions within both the art and religious communities. Born in Mondolfo in 1975, he began his artistic journey at the Art Institute of Fano and furthered his musical education at the Conservatorio G. Rossini in Pesaro and the Pontifical Institute of Sacred Music in Rome.
What He Does: In 2001, Sorcinelli founded LAVS “L’Atelier Vesti Sacre”, a high-end workshop dedicated to creating liturgical garments and accessories for the Catholic Church. His atelier has produced the wardrobe for both Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis, including the attire for the inaugural Mass of Pope Francis in 2013. Notably he designed the hat worn by Pope Benedict XVI during his funeral.
His creations are not merely garments but are intended to be appreciated from a distance, reflecting the sacred rituals they accompany. Sorcinelli’s designs are characterized by geometric precision and symbolic depth, aiming to enhance the spiritual experience through visual harmony.
Fun Fact: In 2013, Sorcinelli co-founded UNUM, a niche perfume house that draws inspiration from sacred and artistic themes. The collection includes fragrances like “LAVS,” which evokes the incense of sacred spaces, and “Epicentro,” created in response to the 2016 earthquake in the Marche and Umbria regions, with proceeds supporting reconstruction efforts.
Artistic Vision and Identity
Sorcinelli views his art as a means of inhabiting the world with radical attentiveness, where even the smallest details can reveal profound meaning. He describes himself as someone who lives with an open wound that becomes language, indicating a deep sensitivity and emotional engagement with his work. His creations often draw from Gothic aesthetics, reflecting a personal style that emerged from solitude and uncertainty. This approach is not merely aesthetic but deeply personal, stemming from his own fears and experiences.
In this space between beauty and brokenness, Sorcinelli crafts a visual and olfactory theology, one that invites contemplation, discomfort, and awe. His work becomes a bridge, not only between tradition and modernity, but between the visible, the felt and the sensed.
Heritage
As a gay man working within the Catholic tradition, Sorcinelli navigates the complexities of his identity with openness and introspection. He finds beauty and spiritual depth in reconciling his queerness with his Catholicism, viewing both as sources of sensual beauty. He acknowledges the challenges of being understood but remains committed to living authentically, emphasizing that freedom is about doing what one must, even when it clashes with societal expectations.
He acknowledges the tension that exists within religious structures, as well as the difficulty of being fully seen or understood within them. Yet, instead of retreating, he leans into that tension with grace. His commitment is not to conformity, but to authenticity a kind of freedom that, as he describes it, lies not in doing whatever one wants, but in doing what one must. In this way, Sorcinelli’s life becomes a kind of liturgy: a creative act of reconciliation between what is often seen as irreconcilable, lived with dignity, courage, and an unwavering sense of purpose.
Personal Style
With a shaved head, a dense black beard, and his signature minimalist black attire, he cuts a striking and deliberate figure. There’s a monastic severity to his look, yet it carries the quiet drama of a performance, measured, intentional, and deeply symbolic. His appearance is not a costume but an extension of his artistic ethos, stark, contemplative, and unapologetically authentic. It visually echoes the themes that permeate his work: restraint, intensity, and the quiet power of presence. In choosing to embody his art so fully, he blurs the line between creator and creation, making his very being a living canvas.
Controversiality
Queerness and Faith: As a homosexual man working within the Catholic tradition, Sorcinelli navigates the complexities of his identity with openness and introspection. He finds beauty and spiritual depth in reconciling his queerness with his Catholicism, viewing both as sources of sensual beauty. He acknowledges the challenges of being understood but remains committed to living authentically, emphasizing that freedom is about doing what one must, even when it clashes with societal expectations.
He acknowledges the tension that exists within religious structures, as well as the difficulty of being fully seen or understood within them. Yet, instead of retreating, he leans into that tension with grace. His commitment is not to conformity, but to authenticity a kind of freedom that, as he describes it, lies not in doing whatever one wants, but in doing what one must. In this way, Sorcinelli’s life becomes a kind of liturgy: a creative act of reconciliation between what is often seen as irreconcilable, lived with dignity, courage, and an unwavering sense of purpose.
Top Career Milestones
Who She Is: The ultimate rebel of British fashion and Godmother of Punk rock style.
What She Does: Westwood pioneered punk fashion in the ’70s, and today, her influence is still all over runways.
Fun Fact: She once infamously wore no underwear to Buckingham Palace when meeting the Queen. Talk about defying the establishment—literally.
Most Known For
Who He Is: The French fashion wunderkind making oversized straw hats and tiny bags a global obsession.
What He Does: As the founder of Jacquemus, he’s all about playful proportions and sunny, carefree “South of France” French style.
Fun Fact: Jacquemus’ first show was organized in a swimming pool—talk about making a splash in the fashion scene!
Least Known For
Who He Is: The visionary streetwear conaisseur, who blurred the lines between luxury and street style culture.
What He Did: Founder of Off-White and the first black artistic director of menswear at Louis Vuitton, Abloh broke boundaries at every step.
Fun Fact: He had a degree in civil engineering before pivoting to fashion. So when people said fashion wasn’t a “real” career, he literally built his own path. daydreaming and optimistic nature, Louis Vuitton Creative directors from Pharrell, to Nicholas Ghesquière to Virgil Abloh have always embedded this fashion-forward freedom feeling in their collections.
ALEXANDER MCQUEEN
Who He Is: The dark, dramatic genius who shook up the fashion with his unprecedented mysterious and mesmerizing flair.
What He Did: McQueen became famous for his provocative runway shows and wild designs. He was known as fashion’s “enfant terrible” with good reason!
Fun Fact: He robotically spray-painted a model’s dress live on the runway in 1999. Yes, that’s the level of innovative fashion drama we’re talking about.
Author Nadia kucukyildiz
As Fashion enthusiast and…