Kindred Spirits - Yuthanan

For our AW24 Eastern Lens chapter, we took on the creative vision of founder-cum-photographer Nicholas Yuthanan Chalmeau (Yuthanan, for short) as we embody our new season pieces in his home country, Japan. This part of the Johnstons of Elgin campaign celebrates two traditions and two countries and was aptly shot at the Edo- Tokyo Museum, located in the Ryogoku district. The museum opened in March 1993 as a means to preserve Edo's cultural heritage and features city models of Edo and Tokyo between 1590 and 1964. It was the first museum built dedicated to the history of the city. We chat more with Yuthanan to understand more about our collaboration, his craft and his thoughts on Johnstons of Elgin.

Where did you learn your craft and what inspired you?

 

It’s been quite a while since I moved to Japan - eight years ago to be exact. I ultimately want to promote craftsmanship around the world – beyond my adopted country, Japan. It began by looking back at my own roots – starting with my birthplace France, until I landed in the UK where my interest peaked at Scotland. Photography is also a big part of my work. When building my own brand, I needed someone to shoot the photos, but I had no knowledge or the right skillset at that time so I had to teach myself how to create beautiful images. Since that time I've been mixing photography and craftsmanship, combining both to create interesting content to share with people.

 

I think beauty and the perception of it is very personal. What I like may not be for everyone, but what I value the most is not the finished product, it’s the process to achieve a final result. So it's a very specific vision. I value a lot the craftsmanship more than the actual product. If people give their time to make something and give their knowledge that product deserves my respect. So it’s usually the things which are made with passion and skill I deem beautiful, like exactly what you do with the clothes you create in your mills and I was lucky enough to witness the process from A to Z.

Tell us a bit about what you do.

 

I have my own brand, Sillage, which is a Japanese brand where I oversee the design direction and all of the online content. Besides that, I also have my photography agency, so I'm producing for the content of other brands too – for example, the work that I am now helping to produce for Johnstons of Elgin. I also work on repurposing old ceramics – breathing life back into them and reinstating their beauty. I really value buying into craftsmanship and not fashion. I want to educate people on how to also spend more wisely. I want people to understand that it's a better investment sometimes to spend a bit more and buy a good piece over fast fashion and cheap clothes that you will wear for a few months and then throw away. Crafting costs more because it's much more durable – which is what I want people to understand. So what I'm doing every day is sharing a post to explore exactly this.

 

Tell us a bit about the project.

 

The goal was to introduce the brand through an international, in this case Japanese, lens. I wanted to set the shoot in Japan but without being in the cliché of what Tokyo represents from a foreign point of view, I didn't want to go through the usual image that people associate with Tokyo -being busy and modern. I wanted something more. I wanted the imagery to also reflect core traditions, which is why we rented the Edo Museum in Tokyo. The architecture there is from a different era, designed by very famous architects in Japan. Some of them were studying in France, some of them studying in England. So it's a very historical museum that has beautiful architectures in it, which are Japanese but not the classic Japanese, you know – like the Tatami and tea houses. I wanted to make something different that hasn’t been seen before in a Western brand campaign, so the idea was to connect the traditions between Japan and Scotland.

What similarities can you see between your craft and ours?

 

We both value the making process. The process from A to Z means the material, the raw material, so we both source our materials in the best way.

 

Your customers buy products that they will keep over time and not throw away in a few months. So the same is true for me. I want people to wear my clothes for years, as well as for every season.

What do both Scotland and Japan mean to you?

 

Japan is a country where people value craftsmanship and that's what's attracted me to their industries, and has also informed my own approach to fashion. For example, denim production in Japan has remained the same for 100 years, as well as alcohol and food - which I like because I think we're losing these traditional skills in Europe. If something works well, they won't be quick to change it and that's what I witnessed when I visited the Elgin Mill, too. The team you have knows their craft inside out and are true experts in what they do.

 

Any final thoughts?

 

I'd like to end on the sentiment that I'd like people to stay curious.