Pope Fashionista is a series of 99 AI-generated images reimagining Popes as fashion icons for a modern, inclusive church, created in early 2023. This collection pushes the boundaries of traditional clerical clothes, transforming it into a realm of high fashion and avant-garde styling. Each piece features an “imaginary Pope,” crafted not only as a fashion model but as a unique character, complete with a name and backstory developed collaboratively with a chatbot based on a large language model.
Designed to simulate a street-style fashion editorial, every image captures these Popes in a full-body shot, presenting intricate details from hat to shoes. They embody a diversity of genders and ethnic backgrounds, offering a vision that is both inclusive and boldly reimagined. Achieving consistency across all 99 images — both in editorial style and full-body composition — was a creative and technical challenge, as the state of AI image generation at the time was still developing. This cohesion, however, unifies the series, inviting viewers into a seamless exploration of tradition and the aesthetic possibilities for the church of tomorrow.
Moving from the digital into the physical realm, 4 of these 99 images have been printed and framed in custom, hand-painted wooden frames, adding a tangible dimension to the project. Eventually, the entire collection will be printed, bringing each of these imaginary Popes into the physical space. For now, the series is published digitally on a dedicated Instagram page, providing an interactive platform for viewers to engage with this reimagined clergy.