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




■ "Window Shopping" by Kelly Beeman

A collection of works by Kelly Beeman, an artist and fashion illustrator based in New York and Los Angeles, USA. Exotic gardens, stylish poolside settings, picnics, country houses, cocktail parties, intimate scenes on the sofa at home, teatime with a girlfriend...

The characters she paints are long-limbed and elegant, clad in dreamy clothing. But their beauty doesn't exist solely for the latest collections of famous fashion designers. They are the protagonists of a fantastical world filled with memories of her childhood in Oklahoma, and a delicate nod to interior design, architecture, music, and literature. Her inspiration comes from lookbooks and catwalk scenes, where shapes like elaborately embroidered blousons, striped bell-bottoms, lace empire dresses, youthful biker jackets, and playful silver earrings inspire her.




However, this does not mean that her works remain in the realm of simple fashion illustration; she also creates a meaningful worldview that goes far beyond the realm of the fashion scene. Although self-taught, the artist spent her childhood following her passion for drawing and playing the piano, and as an adult she continues to incorporate detailed depictions of sheet music and piano into her imagery. After studying sociology at Hunter College, City University of New York, she worked for several years in Bolivia and Argentina. This background informs her approach to her work, exploring, for example, the relationship between culture and fashion, a fundamental aspect of any society.

The artist's theme of "Dressing" (literally meaning putting on clothes, finishing touches, etc.) is a way of creating characters, stories, and cultural contexts, exploring the significance of these elements in a world of self-expression. She sees herself not as a social commentator, but as an artist and fashion illustrator. Her creative inspirations are Neue Sachlichkeit, particularly Christian Schad and Otto Dix, as well as classical and Byzantine art, as well as the graphic works of the Vienna Secession.