Maison Valentino staged a big return to Milan Fashion Week – where the men’s collection was first launched in 1985 – presenting the spring/summer 24 show in the sun-drenched Cortile d’Onore of La Statale – the main courtyard of the city’s public university. Synonymous with education, culture and progress, the location seamlessly blended with Pierpaolo Piccioli’s ambition to question men’s wardrobe signifiers with his collection The Narratives.

The creative director deconstructed the attributes that define masculine identity while keeping the house’s subtle approach. The starting point is classic tailoring. Blazers, the symbol of power and respect, are paired with above-the-knee sartorial shorts which, eventually, turn into skirts. The message is never yelled – at most, whispered.

Elsewhere, pieces inspired by workwear uniforms, such as boiler suits and utility jackets, have been softened with generous volume. The palette is quintessentially Valentino: the initial pure-white looks evolve into dark first and pastel later, also featuring the signature Pink PP, deep red and emerald.

In Piccioli’s perspective, men have found a new, invigorating strength coming from their own fragility. Flower-inspired embroideries bloom on oversized shirts and capes with the stems recalling the gold seam typical of kintsugi, the Japanese art of embracing imperfections by repairing broken pottery with gilded lacquer.

Quotes from Hanya Yanagihara’s bestseller A Little Life appeared all over, from smooth calfskin tote bags to relaxed denim trousers and white shirts. Not by chance, the book –which deeply explores modern male relationships, touching upon success, love, trauma and suffering – was handed out as the invite to the show. Almost suggesting an intimate reflection, Valentino lead us on a liberating journey where men can find freedom in their tenderness and humanity.