The latest sighting of Pope Leo XIV comes not from the Vatican but the New York Times’ The Most Stylish People of 2025, So Far list.
Nestled among the likes of Kendrick Lamar with his Super Bowl bell bottoms, and A$AP Rocky, with his acid drip trench coat, he’s in good company.
Back in May, the new Pope made his first address from the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica, clad in his red shoulder cape, gold embossed stole, white skullcap and heavy gold chain.
It was certainly a departure from the simple white cassock and silver cross favoured by Pope Francis, and led to social media praising him for having ‘too much aura’.
And it’s not the only bold fashion choice Pope Leo has made: in June, he donned a Chicago White Sox baseball cap in a nod to his home team.
Now, while the NYT’s list may be a little tongue-in-check (the Pope is ranked alongside the creepy viral toys, Labubus, and Victoria Ratliff from The White Lotus) fashionistas say it’s worth taking Pope Leo’s ‘fits seriously.
‘Designers are endlessly drawn to the theatricality, pageantry, and sacred symbolism the Church provides,’ fashion stylist, Oriona Robb, tells Metro.
Let’s not forget the famous 2018 Met Gala theme, Heavenly Bodies, which saw Rihanna dressed in fabulous papal-inspired look.
‘The Catholic Church has long inspired both controversy and creativity in fashion. Think Madonna’s Like a Prayer era and Dolce & Gabbana’s baroque collections,’ Oriona adds.
In fact, there are countless pop culture moments inspired by the Catholic church: Kourtney Kardashian’s Dolce wedding dress, which featured an image of Virgin Mary, the Alejandro music video when Lady Gaga wore a latex nun outfit or the Grammy’s in 2012, and when Nikki Minaj brought a man dressed as the Pope as her date, to name just a few.
Why are we so obsessed with religious and catholic imagery in fashion, you ask?
The answer is simple: ‘Its maximalist with meaning,’ says Oriona. ‘The gold, the lace, the incense, the structure. It’s deeply symbolic — and unapologetically rich.’
And that’s never more appropriate than in 2025, when the ‘quiet luxury’ trend of recent years has been well and truly replaced by overt displays of wealth.
Just last week, Lauren Sanchez and Jeff Bezos held their OTT wedding in Venice, described as an ‘absurd wealth theatre’, while the new Mrs Amazon also headed to space with other female millionaires, including Katy Perry and Gayle King (their Space X ‘sexy’ blue suits also appeared in the NYT’s best dressed list).
It also coincides with ‘quiet revival’ of religion, spearheaded by Gen Z, which has seen church attendance rise.
As younger people become more interested in religion, it can seep out into other areas of culture.
‘There’s something magnetic about garments that carry centuries of intention and tradition,’ says Oriona.
‘They command presence. They tell a story. And for many, they evoke both reverence and rebellion which makes them irresistible.’
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