Romania From the sanctity of a 19th-century convent
Now word of the sumptuous silk has reached fashion designers — and soon could debut on the catwalk.The Romanian Orthodox Church disclosed recently that the Versace fashion house is negotiating to buy the cloth
a rich fabric encrusted with metallic embroidery and usually made into priests\' robes costing about $120."Fashion houses have shown an interest in the Byzantine cloth
a technical director for the nunnery\'s fabric workshop.But not all the nuns are thrilled that their handiwork might be worn off the altar."We don\'t want to dress mannequins
We want the cloth to be used in church," snapped Mother Mira
who runs the workshop but is not involved in the negotiations
which she said are being discussed "at a high level in the church."Telephone messages left with Versace headquarters in Milan
A spokeswoman for the Italian-Romanian Chamber of Commerce said many Italian fashion houses have operations in Romania but are secretive about their activities.Tiganesti Convent
25 miles north of the Romanian capital of Bucharest
began making the cloth in 1924 as employment for the nuns
was furnished with the fabric.The sisters have sold it before
Bolts of the shimmering cloth have been purchased by churches from the United States
and by the wives of diplomats visiting the nunnery."I\'m happy the cloth will be used by a fashion designer," said Sister Justinian
"Don\'t they make material like this abroad?"A yard of Byzantine cloth — in tones of amber
scarlet or cream — costs $4.50-$14
Imported German or Italian material of similar quality would cost about $120 a yard in a Bucharest fashion shop.It takes 90 minutes for a yard to be woven on the convent\'s clanking mechanical looms and up to a week to fit the machines with the cloth pattern
Some fabric is imported from Italy and the glittery thread from Japan.Nuns work day or evening shifts in a room reeking of the oil that keeps the looms running smoothly
Their salaries are paid by the church.Paper icons have been pinned to the machines to remind the nuns they are working for God
not haute couture."Some of the nuns broke away from the secular world
and to talk about \'fashion houses\' seems odd to them," Boraciu said from his Bucharest office."But I said: \'Girls
Your work will not just be seen in the church
sewing a tapestry of Jesus Christ with luminous thread and faux rubies and diamonds
takes a pragmatic view."We do our duty and the material is good quality
We are not responsible for what happens to it afterward," she said."However
I know some of the wives of ambassadors who come here make jackets
because I see them trying the swatches of material
I\'ve just never seen the final product," she added with a smile.Romanian fashion designer Catalin Botezatu
agrees that Byzantine cloth could make beautiful clothes."I will include the material in a collection later this year," Botezatu said."I am one of the first designers to do this
The Romanians haven\'t always appreciated the material
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