In search of a more cerebral model of male elegance for 2007, Donatella Versace has come up with a sleek but austere style inspired by the private secretary of Pope Benedict XVI.
Versace's new line of sombre mens' suits were on show on Milanese catwalks at the weekend and, coming from a fashion house known for more elaborate and showy elegance, it created something of a stir.
Donatella Versace, chief designer at the maison, openly admitted she had been inspired by the pope's 50-year-old secretary, Monsignor Georg Gaenswein.
She said she was looking for a man with "fewer muscles, more soul" and so had tried to create a look which was "ethical and spiritual, free of all useless details".
It's Father Georg Style! said the Corriere della Sera daily's headline, while La Repubblica told readers how Versace had put a series of 'handsome clones of Padre Georg' on the catwalk.
The new Versace suits produce a silhouette which is slim but not tight around the waist and, according to fashion experts, hang well on a man who has well developed biceps and pectorals.
But the dark colours and clean, uncompromising lines reflect a spiritual and intellectual prowess as well. "This man is looking for interior qualities and so trains the muscles of his soul," the designer said.
Father Georg, from southern Germany like the pope, is known to be a keen tennis player and pilot in his private life. His elegance and looks are frequently referred to in the Italian media.
