The Valentino Spring/Summer 2024 menswear collection (dubbed “The Narratives”) is inspired by the idea of re-examining the meaning of masculinity.
It’s no coincidence that it is also the first collection that Valentino has showcased separately from its womenswear since the 2020 global pandemic.
Indeed, the show notes which accompanied the collection included a powerful quote which focuses on love and the limits of human endurance, from the novel “A Little Life” by Hanya Yanagihara.
“…things get broken and sometimes they get repaired. And in most cases, you realise that no matter what gets damaged, life rearranges itself to compensate for your loss, sometimes wonderfully.”
The message of the collection is one of hope, creative flair and a reimagining of masculine constructs. Indeed, as Valentino notes of the collection: “Working within the limits of traditions allows you to question conventions, break the rules, activate changes from within.”
Held in the blazing Italian sunshine, in the gardens of the Università degli Studi di Milano, Piccioli’s collection was showcased to the audience against a soundtrack of songs by The Smiths performed live by singer d4vd adding to the mood of positive rebellion and reform.
So how did this manifest in the collection itself? Tailored blazers and coats took centre stage, paired with shorts creating a youthful, energetic feel.
Elsewhere classic workwear had a subtle softness, while cotton, poplin and denim also played big.
Overall, the collection set the tone for what we can expect more of, as the week progresses. In Valentino’s own words: “History cannot be escaped – it informs the present, shapes the future. Yet this collection both proposes and responds to a contemporary reconsideration of history – it is both a challenge, and an ongoing dialogue, of what makes a man today.”
