THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The devil may wear Prada but the Roman Catholic Church has opted for Armani.Giorgio Armani has designed vestments for a bishop for the inauguration of a new church on the tiny Mediterranean island of Pantelleria, where the designer has a holiday hideaway perched on top of a cliff.
Wearing a mitre and holding his staff, Monsignor Domenico Mogavero, the bishop of Mazara del Vallo in Sicily, showed off his new liturgical robes during a thanksgiving Mass in the courtyard of the new church this week.
The 76-year-old designer, Italy's fourth richest man with an estimated fortune of £4.2 billion, decorated the pale green robe with embroidered symbols of the island, including starfish, shells and olive sprigs.
Armani has strong links to the island, an extinct volcano which lies between Sicily and the coast of Tunisia, its name deriving from the Arabic Bent el-Riah, or daughter of the winds.
He has been holidaying there for nearly 40 years and in 2006 was made an honorary citizen.
"It's not about trying to be fashionable," said the bishop. "It was an initiative aimed at involving a fashion designer who loves Pantelleria and to capitalise on his originality in the service of faith and ultimately of God. Read on and comment » | Nick Squires | Tuesday, April 03, 2011
THE GUARDIAN: Italian bishop turns heads with Giorgio Armani vestments: 'This is about wearing something beautiful to give glory to God,' says Bishop Domenico Mogavero » | Tom Kington in Rome | Tuesday, May 03, 2011
