Filippo Sorcinelli
Filippo Sorcinelli is an Italian designer, artist, perfumer, and organist. He is the owner of the fashion company Atelier Lavs and has tailored vestments for Pope Benedict XVI, Pope Francis and Pope Leo XIV.
Early life and education
He grew up in Mondolfo, a commune in the Marche region of Italy. His family members worked as weavers and seamstresses. When he was thirteen years old, he became an organist and performed at cathedrals in Fano, Rimini, and San Benedetto del Tronto.Sorcinelli studied sacred art and historical weaving at the Museo del Tessuto in Prato.
Career
Sorcinelli works as a painter, designer, photographer, and perfumer. He is the owner of Atelier Lavs, a fashion house in Santarcangelo di Romagna.In 2007, he began dressing Pope Benedict XVI, designing over fifty pieces for him. He made his first garment for Pope Francis in 2013, following a call from the Office for the Liturgical Celebrations of the Supreme Pontiff. His first design, a simple cream, white, and gold piece, was worn by the pope for his first papal mass. He designed the mitres that pope wore during his lying in state.
He has also designed vestments for other Catholic clergy, including Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, the Archbishop of Genoa.
In 2018, the Diocesan Museum of Milan held a exhibit of his work. In 2021, he received the Art and Liturgy Prize for innovation in the field of sacred vestments from the Pontifical Liturgical Institute.