Each bookstore will act as a concierge, recommending "the book you should read right now" to FASHION HEADLINE readers. Every Saturday, we will introduce books selected by Shelf, a Harajuku bookstore (3-7-4 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo), which specializes in foreign books.




■ "Nothing Personal" Richard Avedon & James Baldwin

A set including a reprint of Richard Avedon's masterpiece photo book "Nothing Personal," published in 1964, and a booklet with images. "Nothing Personal" is the second photobook by master 20th-century photographer Richard Avedon, following "Observation." It's a renowned masterpiece that explores the complexities, contradictions, and hierarchies of America, with texts by his high school friend, author and civil rights activist James Baldwin. Designed by legendary art director Marvin Israel, it depicts America at the time, juxtaposing famous figures like Allen Ginsberg and Malcolm X with members of the American Nazi Party and patients at a shelter for the mentally disabled. The book includes photographs that Avedon himself described as "among his finest works," as well as four essays by Baldwin, who describes his own experiences of harassment at the hands of racist police officers.