On the Runways in Milan . . .Soutanes?
January 16, 2007, 3:33 pm
Posted by Cathleen Kaveny
Well, not quite, but close.
HT: Whispers in the Loggia.
As New Year’s Resolutions lose their strength, who wouldn’t agree with Donatella Versace that “It is the moment to display the muscles of the mind, not those of the gym.”
On the coffee table sit about a dozen books–biography, poetry, philosophy, religion, sudoku, even the last Harry Potter book (what can I say? I enjoy them).
One day soon, I’ll be up at the crack of dawn, dead lifting one of those books from the table to my chair and holding it suspended for a second or two until the burn kicks in, and then I’ll manipulate the pages with fine muscle control–and lactic acid build up–that will humble the most accomplished rock climber. Perspiration will flow until I realize the thermostat has been set too high. Whew, what a work out!
Yes, one day soon…
I guess the telegenic secretary of the pope steals the show. He will be Cardinal before long. At any rate a very different face. Maybe it is a good thing……
” I feel pretty, oh so pretty …..”
And we won’t go beyond those lyrics.
Essentially the same story appeared in the NY Post, which, like The Times, is published by the News Corp., but is less discreet. It featured a picture of Signorina Versace’s model in “clerical” garb, a picture of Fr. Gaenswein and Bendict XIV smiling at a child with flowers, and these headlines: “These duds are divine” and “Priest chic inspired by papal hunk”.
I know what “Gaenswein” means etymologically, but I would like to know what Gaenswein is. My German dictionary offers no clue.
My sources tells me it is a humoristic expression — it means “Adam’s ale ” –or water.
Here’s a picture of one of Donatella’s creations. Looks more like Count Dracula than Fr. Flanigan to me:
http://fashionwindows.com/fashion_designers/versace/mf071.asp
Jean, I agree that the model looks sinister in the outfit you posted. The picture in the NY Post, which I could not find on line, looks like the same male model, or one with the same look, but in an outfit that looked more clerical in cut and style.
A more careful examination of my dictionary comes up with the same explanation, Cathy. I take that since in German “Gans” can mean fool, it amounts to fool’s wine. To that extent it would be like the English use of “fool’s gold” for iron pyrites. It still strikes me as an unusual surname.
According to the text in Jean’s post, “the fashion forecast for menswear is the seeming duality of the male of the species as he experiments with new silhouettes yet refuse to let go of his classic wardrobe simply because he is just getting used to the change in this new century and millennium.”
Substitute “the fashion forecast for the Church” and pick up with “as it experiments,” you have a pretty good description of what’s going on in contemporary theology.
Who knew, Donatella Versace is a theolgian!
The would-be arbiters of fashion decide what others should make of themselves and try to impose their visions on the fashion-consumers. Some reject their pronouncements as arbitrary and ill fitting, and wait to see what they will say next.. Others cannot manage to conform to their pronouncements, but wish they could, and so feel uneasy. Still others at some cost seek to follow all that the arbiters of fashion declare right and achieve self-satisfaction thereby, until fashion changes. Does this story have any verisimilitude as a parable.