PARIS, Mar 7, 2005/ FW/ --- If Dean & Dan Caten in Milan found Jesus, Stefano Pilati at Yves Saint Laurent is attending the College of Cardinals.

Maybe it’s because Pope John Paul II has been in the news lately due to his failing health; perhaps, Dan Brown’s two bestsellers, “The Da Vinci Code” and “Demons & Angels,” had put religion on the forefront of people’s mind.

Yet, while DSquared took a tongue-in-cheek approach on “finding Jesus,” Stefano Pilati addressed the religious theme seriously and solemnly, opting for ecclesiastical buttons and first communion lace.

With the church’s garbs serving as the blueprint, Pilati sent altar boy inspired coats with chaste turtleneck, the bodice pinned neatly at the waist to become hobble skirts at the hemline.

The “Sacred Heart of Jesus,” a catholic icon literally became an open heart of a black suit jacket hinting of the rise of a woman’s bosom (Hallelujah!) and matched with an above-the-knee pencil skirt.

The baptismal lace gown usually reserved for newborns was cleverly turned into a white shawl, adding to the very chaste feel of the collection.

Standing out is a gold and black empire gown trimmed with lace that can easily allow a woman to attend the meeting of the College of Cardinals, i.e., if the Catholic Church ever allowed women to be priests!

The details are just gorgeous and Stefano Pilati succeeded in revitalizing the YSL brand this season, though the Vatican might disagree with some of his creations.

Yves Saint Laurent

Yves Saint Laurent

Yves Saint Laurent

Yves Saint Laurent