Catwalk Finds God

A Church of England curate has swapped parish life for the glamorous world of high fashion.

It is known for its heavenly bodies and its unholy tantrums, but the world of the catwalk is about to receive spiritual guidance. A leading fashion college is setting itself apart from the industry's more lurid standards of sexual excess, drug addiction and furious egos with the addition of a Church of England chaplain to its staff. 

The Rev Joanna Jepson The Rev Joanna Jepson is swapping the life of a parish priest for the more glamorous environs of the London College of Fashion (LCF). It is the first fashion college in the country to appoint a chaplain to give pastoral care to its aspiring Vivienne Westwoods and Stella McCartneys. As someone who has long taken an interest in fashion, Miss Jepson, 30, feels that the Church should have a presence in the business. "The fashion industry has a huge impact and influence on vast numbers in our society," she said. "It has a particularly powerful role in shaping the self-image and views of young people, and it's important for the Church to be involved with this type of community. It's amazing that it hasn't had this link before." The curate, who has previously criticised society's preoccupation with image, said that she was switching from full-time parish ministry to the fashion world because she could make more of an impact there. Miss Jepson, the curate of St Michael's Church, Chester, earns a stipend of around £16,000. She will be paid a similar amount by the college.