Something truly extraordinary is unfolding in Rome. For the first time in 600 years, a Pope has stepped down; and not just any Pope, but the extremely fashion-forward Pope Benedict XVI. For all the problems the Catholic Church faces in the 21st century, the Pope Emeritus has at least provided the Vatican with a strong sartorial voice.

At the beginning of his papacy, Benedict was caught in a small media storm over a supposed weakness for red Prada papal slip-ons. The Vatican denied it, saying: “The Pope is not dressed by Prada but by Christ” (who as we all know is somewhat less well regarded for his shoe design). Benedict’s shoes represented his politics as much as his good taste in cobblers.

The root of his need to rediscover some of the more traditional, even baroque, elements of papal dressing can be traced back to the great liturgy gear-change of 1965, when the phase known as Vatican II, a period of modernisation aimed at reconnecting the Vatican to Catholics worldwide, came to an end. Latin mass, for example, was abandoned in favour of churches delivering services in their own language.

Benedict’s desire to recapture the Church’s traditional liturgy and doctrine goes hand in hand with what he wore as pope. On his election in 2005, he wore Ming the Merciless-style vestments left over from John Paul’s administration, and after getting rid of his first master of ceremonies, Piero Marini, who had subjected him to a sort of blue dust-sheet for his first papal mass in Austria, he turned to Guido Marini (no relation) — an MC who understood the power of tradition.

Though not usually in sync with the fashion world, the Vatican is currently bang on trend. A return to quality, an interest in heritage, and support of artisanal craftsman could not be more now — look to Chanel, McQueen, Valentino for examples. Lace and velvet are everywhere — from the Pope to Paris, they are the height of chic.

Despite this, Benedict wisely stayed clear of actual designers. In 2007 the Italian film director Franco Zeffirelli offered his services as a consultant to the Vatican. Having previously designed the staging for mass ceremonies under John Paul II, it was suspected that Zeffirelli wanted to play down Benedict’s “showy” image. The Vatican politely declined.

So what can we expect from the next Pope, both the man and the wardrobe?

My money is on Cardinal Angelo Scola. The Italians would love an Italian in the Vatican, and as a key figure in the Church’s Christian-Muslim dialogue, he is highly relevant. And, being archbishop of Milan, he is likely to keep those vestments utterly glorious. Fashion outsider? The magnificent former archbishop of St Louis, the American Cardinal Raymond Leo Burke. An appearance by him is the Catholic equivalent of a broadway musical.

— The Guardian