A vestment interest

The notion of haute couture, or fashion in the Masses, might seem a little odd to some, but there is style in liturgical garb, and one company in the world has been at the forefront in raising the bar. The Stadelmaier company of Nijmegen, Netherlands, has been the mover and shaker in developing contemporary vesture for the Catholic liturgy since 1930.

A look at Stadelmaier’s history is on display downtown at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels; the exhibit is the perfect complement for Pope Benedict XVI’s visit to the U.S. this week. “For the Greater Glory of God: Liturgical and Religious Art for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles” is a rare exhibition of liturgical vesture and Eugenio Pattarino majolica on view through May 31; the exhibition’s curator, Father Michael Tang, has titled the collection “75 Years of Heavenly Fashion.” Featured are 22 chasubles (priestly robes); spanning the years 1934 to 2004, the exhibit includes vesture worn by popes Paul VI and John Paul II. The powerful piece “Violet Chasuble, 1958,” which features Christ on the Cross, is an especially poignant symbol. The image conveys all the pain and angst of an El Greco painting. The elongated angularity of the figure is distorted as are the long, thin streams of blood. This chasuble, like all the others, is compelling for it is living art; when worn, these garments are brought to life in a way that sculpture is not.

Official papal visits are extraordinary, and Stadelmaier is producing custom-made and hand-embroidered vestments for the occasion; it’s a Herculean task that includes three completely different vestments for the Holy Father (on the traditional side, with slightly shortened chasubles), 52 cardinal vestments and mitres, 300 chasubles for bishops, as well as 600 vestments for concelebrating priests.

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Deborah Young