italian easter

EVERY Easter, the photographer Michael Roberts flies to Sicily. Partly it's to add to his cache of pictures of the spectacular religious processions that go on over the weekend; partly to incorporate the beautiful Sicilian architecture - to say nothing of the beautiful Sicilian inhabitants - into his pictures of that year's summer collections. Each town has its own Easter ritual. Enna has a sinister parade of white-hooded figures reminiscent of the Ku Klux Klan, Francavilla constructs tableaux of the 12 stations of the cross; in the tiny village of Cesaro, the men parade round one way, carrying an effigy of Christ; the women parade the other way, with the Madonna, then the two rush towards each other, clashing their effigies together. In the midst of these celebrations, the locals have always been happy to act as fashion extras. They've seen the Italian peasant look, the Sicilian housewife look, and years of La Dolce Vita. This summer the classic Italian tailored suit is back for men and women alike, so who better to model it?

One day, Michael will put all his Easter pictures in a book and leave Sicily forever. But until then, some poor unsuspecting octogenarian still runs the risk of being backed up against a crumbling wall and declared "fabulous" in an oversized Joseph sweater.

Main picture, left: black nylon raincoat, by

Prada, about £350, from 44 Sloane Street, SW1; man's lightweight pin- stripe suit, by Yves Saint Laurent, from a selection at 135 New Bond Street, W1. Below: woman's white dress shirt, by Jean Paul Gaultier, from 171 Draycott Avenue, SW3; black leather skirt by Claude Montana; black lace bra, model's own, but similar by La Perla, from Harvey Nichols, Knightsbridge, SW1. Man's suit and vest by Calvin Klein; Calvin Klein underwear from Harvey Nichols, as before. Below left: black crepe shift dress, by Ralph Lauren, at 143 New Bond Street, W1; sunglasses by Chanel, from 26 Old Bond Street, W1; sandals by Manolo Blahnik, from 49 Old Church Street, SW3. Far left: cream linen suit, shirt and tie, by Ralph Lauren, as before. Colour photograph: suit by Paul Smith, from 44 Floral Street, WC2

PHOTOGRAPHS BY MICHAEL ROBERTS

MAIN MODELS: ANNA FALCHI AND PATRICK LAO