Pope Leo XIV’s openly gay designer reveals what the pontiff’s clothes secretly say about him

From wearing a Chicago White Sox hat with his papal robes to making Vogue’s best-dressed list, Pope Leo XIV captured the world’s attention with his striking style in his first year as pope.

Behind his appearance is an openly gay Italian designer who has been quietly shaping the Chicago-born Pope’s image.

Filippo Sorcinelli, who has also dressed Pope Francis and Pope Benedict XVI, spoke to the Daily Mail to give insight into Leo’s wardrobe.

Sorcinelli said he works with the Church to bring each outfit to life, adding that Leo’s look is not about trends or personal taste, but about projecting authority and reinforcing the Church’s message.

‘Nothing seems to be for show: every visual choice contributes to the construction of a language of credibility, balance and quiet authority,’ he said.

In other words, the clothes were designed to look calm, controlled and authoritative, rather than ostentatious.

‘In Leo XIV, one feels a style arising from the choice of meter, above all an orderly interiority and a balanced stance that speaks of authority,’ he said.

He added that the look was deliberately simplified.

Filippo Sorcinelli, the designer behind Pope Leo XIV’s clothing, creates clothing that aims to reflect authority while reflecting the Church’s message

In a rare casual moment, Pope Leo XIV wears a Chicago White Sox hat that blends centuries-old tradition with a modern edge

Sorcinelli said papal vestments are not about fashion but about communicating meaning through what he calls “quiet theology.”

‘Fabrics, colors and forms become tools of a silent theology,’ he said.

This means that every detail is designed to support the Pope’s role, not to distract from it.

Leo leaned into classic papal tailoring, bringing back details like cufflinks and structured robes that emphasized form and precision.

He’s also added subtle modern touches, like being seen wearing an Apple Watch and even a Chicago White Sox baseball cap during a public appearance.

The designer clarified that his work does not involve direct collaboration with the Pope.

Instead, it passes through the Vatican’s Supreme Pontifical Office for the Liturgical Celebrations, which ensures that each garment complies with tradition and liturgical rules.

In this system, choices regarding colour, fabric and symbols are guided by the Church calendar and theology rather than personal preferences.

Sorcinelli works through the Vatican’s liturgical office to design clothing that follows strict Church tradition

Pope Leo XIV arrives to lead the Divine Liturgy at the Louis II Stadium in Monaco on March 28, 2026

Sorcinelli’s design sketch of the richly colored robe created for Pope Leo XIV

Sorcinelli said that each Pope expresses a different identity with his style.

‘Every priest, like every priest, is a universe of symbols. “His body becomes a visible word that prompts him to dress in forms and colors that can reflect the mission he embodies,” he said.

He said Pope Benedict XVI relied on tradition, while Pope Francis embraced simplicity.

‘Benedict XVI expressed a culture of roots, a refinement based on memory and tradition,’ he said.

‘Francis chose the power of surprising simplicity, almost a biblical provocation,’ he added.

Leo XIV, he said, represents the balance between the two. ‘Leo XIV reveals his desire to bring all things back to the centrality of Christ, making this axis the sign of a single path connecting the past and the future,’ he said.

He defined change as two different approaches to leadership.

‘Francis with kindness transformed into revolution, Leo XIV with strength transformed into openness,’ he said.

Sorcinelli was presented to Pope Benedict XIV at the opening ceremony in St. Peter’s Square on May 18, 2025. He puts the finishing touches on Leo’s robes.

Pope Leo XIV turned to classical papal tailoring, bringing back structured clothing that emphasized form and precision. He likes to wear cufflinks like in the picture

Sorcinelli said his path to designing for the Vatican began in his childhood, when he helped his mother clean the local church.

‘Every careful movement, every look at the architecture, the organ, the altars, awakened in me the awareness that faith lives in small attentions,’ he said.

Working with those at the highest levels of the Catholic Church means Sorcinelli also stands out as an openly gay man in a traditional institution.

But he said he has never seen a conflict between his faith and his identity.

“I’ve never seen faith and sexuality as a battle, but rather as a creative tension that fuels my work,” she told the Daily Mail.

‘What does it mean to be openly gay? “Perhaps this means fearlessly embracing one’s own story and transforming it into creative language,” he said.

Sorcinelli added that his experience within the Church was one of acceptance.

‘My experience of the church has always been a welcome one. “No one ever stopped me on the doorstep of a church,” he said.

By dressing the three popes, Sorcinelli shaped the Vatican’s visual identity with clothing inspired by tradition and symbolism.

The designer also worked with Pope Francis (pictured), who he says ’embraces simplicity’.

Sorcinelli also refers to Pope Benedict XVI, who he says “expresses a culture of roots, a refinement based on memory and tradition.” He also studied with Benedict.

He emphasized that his work is not political and is rooted in traditions.

‘This is loyalty, not protest,’ he said, adding: ‘Doctrine provides guidance, not exclusion.’

He also argued that discussions about identity should be separate from the spiritual role of the Church.

‘The issue of rights belongs to the State. “The church exists to guide souls towards salvation,” he said. ‘The church is based on baptism, not identity categories,’ he said.

Sorcinelli said the process is structured and consistent, with designs generally approved without major changes because of the rigid framework that guides the work.

Ultimately, he said, clothes should reflect something bigger than the person wearing them.

‘The sacred garment does not serve the body, it enlightens the soul of the society,’ he said.

The one-year anniversary of Leo taking office and becoming the first American Pope is approaching on May 8.

Papal vestments are designed to reflect the Church’s liturgical calendar, with colors and symbols changing throughout the year.

He was photographed with a Pope Leo XIV T-shirt for sale before the White Sox game on June 6 last year

in december Vogue named Leo among the 55 best-dressed people of 2025 As well as stars like Bad Bunny, Rihanna and Jennifer Lawrence.

Vogue noted that Leo has broken away from Pope Francis’ famously modest style and still embraces the tradition of sharply tailored papal robes.

The magazine called his first appearance as Pope the ‘best outfit of 2025’, highlighting his red satin mozzetta cape and wine-red, gold-embroidered shawl worn with a cross necklace on gold silk cord.