US fashion outlets are expecting brisk business when Mel Gibson and Donatella Versace today launch perhaps the most unlikely piece of movie merchandising ever – a clothing range inspired by Gibson’s biblical epic The Passion of Christ.

The film, which broke box office records around the world, divided critics - some of whom saw it as a powerful and challenging piece of cinema whilst others thought it was anti-Semitic and nothing more than a product of it’s director’s rampaging ego.

Now the release of a clothing collection inspired by outfits worn by stars such as James Caviezel and Monica Bellucci is guaranteed to put the movie on the front page news once again.

The launch of the ‘Crucifixion’ range has startled many fashion experts who believed that the urban hip-hop image would continue to prevail. Versace however claim that there is a huge advance demand for line they are launching, especially in the US Bible belt.

“We live in dangerous times” a spokesman told us “and many people are keen to go back to a more simple way of life, a more godly way of life, and one way of doing this is by wearing Versace.”

Christians - dedicated followers (of Fashion)

Fellow fashion visionary P Diddy has also announcement that he’ll be launching his own range of biblically inspired clothing, suggesting that this may indeed be the shape of clothes to come.

TV adverts encouraging customers to “resurrect their wardrobe” and “dress like every night is your last supper” are expected to air in the autumn.

Posted by damian at September 15, 2004 11:52 AM | TrackBack