Famous fashion designer unveils liturgical vestments for the reopening of Notre-Dame

For the reopening of the famous Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, a collection of 2,000 pieces – stoles, chasubles and dalmatics – will be assembled for the 170 bishops, 700 priests and 700 permanent deacons. These vestments will also be used at major diocesan celebrations such as the Chrism and Holy Orders masses.

For this large-scale commission, which was financed by arts and crafts houses, the archdiocese turned to Jean-Charles de Castelbajac, who had already designed the robes for the 1997 World Youth Day in Paris. The designer is also known for his collaborations with pop stars such as Lady Gaga, Beyoncé and Katy Perry.

Castelbajac was inspired by the choir cross of Notre Dame, created by Marc Couturier and which withstood the fire of 2019. “I had never used gold in my work before,” he explained. “In these vestments, I wanted to highlight the cross as a beacon, as a symbol, as a standard.”

The golden cross is clearly visible on chasubles, bishop’s mitres and stoles. The bright colors symbolize “the rebirth of Notre Dame.” Castelbajac wants to convey a strong message to believers and young people who are looking for symbols and to create an image that inspires admiration.

“A bit of spiritual epic”

The vestments for the bishops will include 12 colorful crosses representing the apostles. Castelbajac, thinking of his four-year-old daughter and 16-year-old grandson, wants to use contemporary imagery to inspire spirituality in younger generations. He also wanted to add “a bit of spiritual epic” – “We need to tell the younger generations about courage.”

Castelbajac, who witnessed the fire at Notre Dame in April 2019, describes it as “one of the saddest and most overwhelming moments of my life”. Being asked to design these vestments was “a great honour”. Inspired by the tunic of Saint Louis in the treasury of Notre Dame at the age of 17, World Youth Day in 1997 changed Castelbajac’s life and led him to combine his talent with his faith and popular movements.

For this new commission, Castelbajac exercised self-discipline and sought “sobriety” and “elegance” without breaking too much with tradition. Discussions are currently underway with several French workshops for production.

“The production of these vestments is in harmony with the liturgical decoration, and everything contributes to the beauty through the production,” said Monsignor Olivier Ribadeau Dumas, Rector of Notre Dame. “It is about expressing joy and hope for the reopening of the cathedral.”

After the initial phase until Pentecost 2025, every Paris parish will receive a chasuble.

The Archdiocese of Paris had previously announced plans for an extended celebration to mark the reopening of Notre Dame Cathedral, the iconic church in the French capital that was nearly destroyed by fire in 2019. Archbishop Laurent Ulrich of Paris released a new pastoral letter in February titled “The Year 2024 in the Archdiocese of Paris,” which includes a detailed schedule of ceremonies surrounding the cathedral’s planned official inauguration and reopening on December 7. The special events will begin on December 8 and last until June 8, 2025, the Solemnity of Pentecost.