Essentials: Yuthanan of Sillage

Following the reveal of Sillage’s French military-inspired FW21 collection, we catch up with brand director Nicolas “Yuthanan” Chalmeau for his pick of Essentials.

Yuthanan is the Sillage founder’s Thai name which he goes by, and Nicolas is his French name. He lived and studied fashion in Paris, before leaving the city to establish his base in Tokyo. Yuthanan now splits his time between freelance photography and his personal label Sillage known for its signature oversized aesthetic and quality craftsmanship. Featured in Yuthanan’s Essentials are functional items reflecting his on-the-go lifestyle and passion for photography, Land Rovers and sneakers.

Vintage Rimowa Beauty Case 
Originally this is a makeup case but I’m using it as a traveling camera case. Perfect to carry my camera and two lenses.

Left – PG for Sillage
My everyday shoe when I’m not on a shoot. This was made in collaboration with the Yoyogi-based store Playground and my brand Sillage.

Right – Asics Gel Kayano 14 Mint
My favorite sneakers at the moment, still unreleased I think. The perfect shoe for on-location shooting and long-distance driving.

Car keys – Airtag, Aurelie Mathigot Lanyard
For work and family reasons I have to keep my keys with me every day, every time. I lose things easily so I had to equip an Airtag to it just in case. The lanyard has been handwoven by Aurelie Mathigot, an artist who worked with Comme Des Garçons.

Camera
Probably one of the most important items as I use my camera every day, especially with the 70-200mm zoom lens. 100% of my Instagram content has been shot with a camera and 80% with this lens. And yes, it’s a Canon. I will always be on Canon’s side.

Tactical Vest by Junya Watanabe
This is my work gear when shooting on location. It carries all the small things I need when working on a job –lenses, batteries, accessories, etc.

Profoto B10 Flash
Another very important item for me when it comes to daily Instagram content at home or at my office. I need to keep a clean and professional look for my content so I bring at least one flash almost everywhere with me.

Sillage Incense Chamber NB990v3
Last year, we produced some incense chambers molded from my own 990v3 which is one of my favorite pairs ever. Made by local craftsmen in Seto city. At home, I like to burn incense, so it’s one of my essentials.

Sillage Tabi Socks
Japan has made me enjoy wearing Tabi socks. I can’t wear regular socks anymore, and after buying a lot from other brands, I’ve decided to create my model. Here is the low-cut version, Made in Japan of course. Some mid-length options will be coming later this year.

Card Holder by Hender Scheme
Very convenient and easy to carry around — credit cards, PASMO, and ID cards.

Lip Balm and Menthol Inhaler
Being half Thai, I can’t go out without my menthol inhaler. The same goes for my lip balm. You asked for my essentials, these two are probably used every hour.

iPhone
Nothing much to say here, emails and Instagram daily. I also do a lot of day trips for my work so I carry an extra battery.

Airpods
Same story here. I travel a lot so I need to listen to my favorite mix.

Akoya Rings by Fantastic Man
My friend’s brand that’s based in Tokyo. These 2 rings are made from Silver and each of them has an Akoya pearl which is known for its non-chemical treated pearls that are all cultivated in Japan.

Coins
I don’t carry any wallets but always have coins in my pocket. This is for buying some jasmine tea or water at the convenience store.

Face and Body Sheets
My real summer essentials. Tokyo is humid so these keep me fresh.

Ayame Shades / South-African Beaded Cord / Hender Scheme Box
If you follow me on Instagram, you might know that I never go anywhere without my favorite eyewear. As I said previously, I tend to lose things so that’s why I have this cord.

Land Rover Defender 110 Camel Trophy
Just a small object I like to keep to remind me of my passion for this iconic and legendary 4×4. It’s a rare edition I bought on eBay a year ago.

Sillage Flap Cap Made From Antique Indian Quilts
A cap I wear a lot and a best seller from Sillage. We’ve found this fabric last year and since then we are making more and more clothing using vintage fabrics.

Reverse Weave Land Rover Champion
Gifted by @poggytheman earlier this year, this is one of my favorite items in my collection. I wear it when driving my car to look like a fanboy.

Take a look at the product spread above, and stay tuned for more Essentials pieces in the coming weeks.

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