In Fellini's Roma, there is an unforgettable runway show that strays far from the world of traditional fashion. Instead, it parades a spectacle of ecclesiastical attire: novices clad in black satin, priests gliding on roller-skates or riding on bicycles, and bishops wearing chasubles in exaggerated silhouettes, mitres, and stoles crafted from the most unusual materials. The creations, brought to life by costume designer Danilo Donati in collaboration with Rome's famed tailoring house Tirelli, blended pageantry with the sacred.
This ecclesiastical runway scene carved out a lasting place in Fellini's cinematic world and in film history itself. It brims with irony, satire, mockery and fun, capturing emotions that range from tender nostalgia to outright ecstasy. For Fellini, this was not just spectacle but a critique of a Church wrapped in splendor and theatricality.
Yet, over the years, the interplay between fashion and religion evolved, weaving together inspirations that spanned from the simplicity of the monastic garb to the ornamental ex-votos that graced many different fashion collections throughout the years. This dynamic dialogue ultimately inspired "Heavenly Bodies", an exhibition by The Met’s Costume Institute that celebrated the intersection of ecclesiastical grandeur and couture.
One of the most famous connections between fashion and the Catholic Church is represented by French designer Jean-Charles de Castelbajac.
In the early 1990s, JCDC designed vestments for priests officiating Mass in prisons. Yet, his most significant commission came in 1997 when he was entrusted with creating the ceremonial robes for Pope John Paul II, alongside vibrant vestments for 500 bishops and 5,000 priests for the World Youth Day in Paris. It marked the first time an artist or fashion designer had collaborated so closely with the Vatican, merging the worlds of faith and fashion in a groundbreaking moment.
At the time, the designer had contemplated using rainbow-striped vestments, but was initially concerned that the Church might disapprove, given the association between rainbows and the LGBTQ+ pride flag. However, after expressing his reservations, he was encouraged to proceed with the idea by a bishop who reassured him there was no exclusive "copyright" on rainbows.
For his 1997 designs for Pope John Paul II, he collaborated with the renowned embroidery atelier Lesage and milliner Maison Michel.
Now, Jean-Charles de Castelbajac has revisited his love for colors and historic craftsmanship for a new, prestigious commission: designing the clerical garments for the reopening of Notre-Dame de Paris Cathedral on December 7 and 8. This event follows the devastating fire that damaged the building in 2019.
Chosen by Monseigneur Laurent Ulrich, the Archbishop of Paris, de Castelbajac became part of "L'Atelier de Notre-Dame," a collective of artists and artisans appointed by the Diocese of Paris to contribute to the cathedral’s restoration.
Working closely with Le19M, the craftsmanship center owned by Chanel in Paris, the designer collaborated with skilled artisans to create the garments.
Embroiderers Lesage and Montex, goldsmith Goossens, milliner Maison Michel, and the grand flou (delicate fabrics) atelier Paloma all played roles in producing 2,000 chasubles, dalmatics (liturgical tunics), and stoles. These vestments will be worn by members of the clergy at the reopening ceremonies and used also for future significant celebrations at the cathedral.
Jean-Charles de Castelbajac's designs evoke the spirit of Danilo Donati's costumes in the sense that they merge medieval and futuristic influences with a blend of religious symbols and streetwear-inspired techniques aimed at appealing to younger generations.
The design combine indeed traditional embroidery with modern methods such as flocking, sublimation, and quilting. Collage, a method de Castelbajac has recently explored, became another technique employed for the designs.
Central to JCDC's vision were light and radiance, complemented by the chromatic rhythm and the power of gold. One striking design features a gold cross - inspired by Marc Couturier's gold altar cross that survived the fire at Notre-Dame - surrounded by primary-colored fragments, each of them unique and irregular, symbolizing reflecting diversity.
While the vibrant hues evoke a rainbow, their true inspiration lies in Notre-Dame's stained glass windows and jeweled reliquaries.
The fragments radiating from the cross are also a nod to Keith Haring's "Radiant Baby," (View this photo) and hint at joy and hope.
The robes are made from Scottish white broadcloth and assembled by Paloma, while the intricate details and embroidered motifs are by Lesage.
Lesage's artisans embroidered the tricolor cope with crosses using a traditional crochet technique, enriched with glass tubes, angel hair, gold leaf, and quilting. For the chasubles and the archbishop's miter, Lesage applied gold leaf through the sublimation technique, achieving a lightweight, flexible metallic finish.
Artisans at Goossens fashioned hammered and gold-plated Chi-Rho (one of the earliest forms of the Christogram) clasps for the copes, while Maison Michel crafted the miters from ivory Mikado silk, reinforced with mica sheets and accented with gold flocking by Lesage, and Montex embroidered the archbishop's chasuble with 18,000 gold sequins.
"The métiers d'art were like the five fingers of my hand, an extension of my artist's gesture," de Castelbajac stated on Instagram, reflecting on the collaborative spirit behind the project.
The reopening ceremony promises to be a spectacle of chromatic harmony, inviting reflection on the connection between designers and religious vestments.
JCDC is not alone in bridging the worlds of faith and fashion: in 1996 fesigner Gai Mattiolo donated four chasubles to Pope John Paul II while Giorgio Armani created in 2011 vestments worn at the inauguration of the new church on the island of Pantelleria.
Notably, the only female designer to craft a chasuble, Nanni Strada, chose a minimalist, modular and architectural approach, emphasizing space-like designs that stood out for their modern simplicity. JCDC remains anyway the only fashion designer officially commissioned to create chasubles for major events.
Yet there is more to explore when it comes to brand collaborations and religious inspirations. Recently, Tokidoki's Simone Legno teamed up with the Vatican to create Luce (meaning "light" in Italian) , the official mascot of the Catholic Church's 2025 Jubilee.
The cute character, in true Tokidoki style, has blue hair, wears a yellow raincoat, and muddied boots - symbolizing her role as a pilgrim (she also carries a pilgrim's staff) - and carries a rosary around her neck. Luce is accompanied by her friends (something reminiscent of Sanrio's "Hello Kitty & Friends"...) - human companions in similarly styled raincoats of various colors plus her pet Santino, a reference to Saint Rocco's dog, and spiritual companions, including a dove named Aura (the Holy Spirit, but maybe a nod to Legno's own passion for AS Roma given that this term has gained popularity among soccer players…) and a little angel that looks like a crossover between Urusei Yatsura's little cousin Ten, and Kiki from Sanrio's Little Twin Stars.
So, which one does look better: Catholic couture or the playful Catholic mascot Luce and her cute friends? Well, they represent two very different strategies, both showing the Catholic Church's efforts to rebrand and appeal to younger generations.
While elaborate chasubles hold significance for the ateliers that create them and obviously forge a strong bond with the history of Notre Dame, they are exclusive and precious garments for the clergy; Tokidoki's Luce will have instead a broader commercial appeal and potential impact.
Though the mascot has so far gained mixed reactions (from Internet memes, fan art and porn versions to more traditionalist commentators who see her as too modern...), Legno's Luce, with its signature shining eyes with a light in the shape of a scallop shell (an iconic symbol of the Camino de Santiago), offers a fresh and accessible way for the Church to engage younger generations (the merchandising opportunities for Luce - from the usual T-shirts and tote bags to rosary beads and prayer books - are immense). So while sacred couture retains its importance within fashion, craft and ceremonies, you can bet that Luce is poised to occupy a larger, more commercial space.
Images credits for this post
Image 1, Fellini Museum, Rimini, Italy by Frank Boyle
Images of JCDC designs by Philippe Garcia and Alix Marnat; Images of Luce & Friends by Simone Legno/Tokidoki
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