From liturgy to orgasms. How the Vatican’s gay and favorite tailor creates perfumes with the scent of sex and cruising

The Italian artist Filippo Sorcinelli has long been devoted to a craft that requires the utmost reverence for church tradition. In his atelier, called LAVS, liturgical vestments are created for the highest ranks of the Catholic Church, and among his regular clients are Pope Benedict XVI and Francis.

Filippo Sorcinelli — openly gay. He speaks openly about his homosexuality and sees no inner conflict between that and what he does. According to the designer, he views his faith, his loyalty to the Catholic Church, and his sexual identity not as opposition, but as "creative tension" that fuels his art and work.

However, beyond the Vatican and church altars, Sorcinelli is known for something entirely different. He creates niche perfumery, exploring themes that traditional fragrance advertising usually prefers to keep silent about.

The theme of sexuality and physicality is also openly reflected in his perfume collections. Alongside deep spiritual and religious scents (such as incense LAVS), his brand also releases highly provocative compositions (for example, Cruising Area or Quickie And Coffee), inspired by gay culture, fleeting encounters, and the aesthetics of eroticism.

A connection to a religious atmosphere has accompanied Sorcinelli since childhood. From an early age he played the organ, spent a lot of time in churches, and was passionate about church architecture and music. His path into the perfume business began with a practical task. When sewing vestments, the master wanted the boxes sent to clients to have a special, recognizable scent. Gradually, that idea grew into an independent project, and in 2014 his perfume house UNUM was founded. Some of his fragrances, such as Symphonie-Passion and Opus, are directly inspired by the atmosphere of sanctuaries, with notes of incense, wax, old wood, and church chants.

For Sorcinelli, perfumery is not just a way to smell good, but a full-fledged language for speaking about the human body, desires, and hidden emotions. Speaking openly about his homosexuality, he is not afraid to step beyond the bounds of strict church etiquette. His brand includes a bottle called Quickie and Coffee, conceived from the memory of a brief intimate encounter in a gas station restroom. Another fragrance, Cruising Area, is dedicated to the atmosphere of secret meeting places for dates. In the author’s view, scent can return a person to moments that are difficult or impossible to express in words.

Despite these provocative themes, Sorcinelli maintains a close professional and personal relationship with the Catholic Church. In an interview with the South China Morning Post, the perfumer emphasized that he sincerely respects church institutions and feels there is mutual respect. Although the Church’s relationship with the LGBTQ+ community remains complicated, the master himself is convinced that a believer can fully remain part of the Church while living with their sexuality. He does not see an inevitable conflict here, considering it his own personal spiritual position.

In the autumn of 2016, in an interview with Dazed, Sorcinelli presented his new work called Vulnus, which in Latin means "wound." The bottle design imitates damaged skin, and the cap is decorated with a real imprint of human teeth. To achieve the required shape, the creator personally bit the test mold, leaving a physical trace of his own body on the work of art. Inside the bottle, notes of vanilla, jasmine, leather, and burnt caramel intertwine, complemented by a cold metallic nuance reminiscent of rusting iron.

In the official presentation, the perfumer rejects the usual advertising promises of luxury or allure. Instead, he invites us to reflect on vulnerability, human dignity, and the restoration of self-confidence after severe trials. Sorcinelli seeks to show that even painful memories and emotional trauma can become a subject for art. His story demonstrates that human identity rarely fits within a single definition, and that an ordinary bottle of perfume can tell us more about a person than a standard biography.