December is traditionally the month of resolutions and forecasts for the year ahead, but it’s also a time for recapping the year’s highs—and, at times, its lows. Vogue America didn’t miss a beat, unveiling its 2025 list of the best-dressed personalities, and remarkably, Pope Leo XIV earned a place on the prestigious roster.
Known For: Breaking with the humble tastes of his predecessor, Pope Francis—but keeping his tailor and maintaining the papal legacy for fine-fitting liturgical vestments.
The Vatican has welcomed a new pope, yet the handwriting of the same master tailor remains visible in the sacred vestments worn at the most important liturgical occasions.
The Atelier LAVS of Filippo Sorcinelli is honored to have dressed the Holy Father in these early months of his pontificate, and to continue doing so in a partnership spanning over two decades, in close synergy with the Office for Liturgical Celebrations of His Holiness.
Many have been the ceremonies officiated by Pope Leo XIV, and we recall a few in which he wore creations from the Atelier LAVS by Filippo Sorcinelli such as Pontifical stole in silk velvet with gold embroidery, crafted for December 8—the Immaculate Conception—at Piazza di Spagna, Rome; White and gold mitre created for the apostolic journey to Turkey; Mitre with geometric gold embroidery and papal insignia and Chasuble and mitre in silk and gold with amethysts.
LAVS stands for Laboratorio Atelier Vesti Sacre, and also “Lode” in Latin, the way man offers praise to God through the work of his hands. Based in Santarcangelo di Romagna, the atelier studies, designs, and produces sacred vestments, liturgical vessels, and accessories for Catholic liturgy.
The LAVS story began in Mondolfo, a small enchanted village in the province of Pesaro e Urbino, where Filippo Sorcinelli was born in 1975. His deep fascination with the sacred awakened early, as he grew fond of the vestments housed in the local church and the organ’s resonant sounds.
After pursuing an arts-centered education—earning a Master of Arts and later a diploma in Applied Arts—he graduated from the Rossini Conservatory in Pesaro and refined his craft at the Pontifical Institute of Sacred Music in Rome. Over the years, he became the organist in residence at the cathedrals of Fano, Rimini, and San Benedetto del Tronto, earning international regard for his improvisational skills at the organ.
Meanwhile, inspired by his aunt and sister, both seamstresses, he began learning sartorial craft and embroidery. A late-2000 phone call changed the course of his career: a friend was about to take his vows, and Filippo agreed to craft his first casula. Driven by a desire to explore new artistic territory, he founded LAVS in 2001.
There is more: Filippo Sorcinelli also decided to perfume the sacred vestments en route to their destinations, founding the art-fragrance brand FILIPPO SORCINELLI in 2013.
Beyond the main atelier in Santarcangelo di Romagna, LAVS operates two stores: one in Rome on Borgo Vittorio, just a stone’s throw from the Vatican, and another in Assisi.
Photo credits: The Atelier LAVS of Filippo Sorcinelli
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