Each bookstore will act as a concierge, recommending "the book you should read now" to FASHION HEADLINE readers. Every Thursday, each branch of the art bookstore "NADiff" will introduce a book they recommend. This time, we'll be looking at NADiff du Champ in Ginza, Tokyo.

■ "WILDER MANN: European Beastmen - Relics of the Primitive in Disguise" by Charles Fréger

French photographer Charles Fréger is currently garnering attention with exhibitions at Maison Hermès in Ginza and Gallery MEM in Ebisu.

In his previously published photo book "EMPIRE," Fréger extracts the underlying order and power structure from portraits of cavalrymen, while in "BRETONNES," he delicately captures the traditions that still remain in Burgundy through portraits of women clad in lace. The subjects of this book, "WILDER MANN," are "wilder men"—people who have long been seen in European festivals and rituals, dressed as animals or demons. Even the most primitive human groups possess social order. Naturally, however, they also possess many aspects that cannot be explained by reason alone, such as disasters, inner evil, and desire. This is why extraordinary beings, such as beasts and demons, who violently and unreasonably disrupt order, have long been necessary for humans to reconcile reason with instinct, or order with nature. A glance through this book reveals that these aspects are by no means unique to European "wilder men." Many of their portraits bear striking resemblances to creatures familiar to us Japanese, such as demons, lion dances, and namahage. While Charles's portraits highlight the universal relationship between humans and "Wilder Mann"-like beings, they also allow for a closer look at the uniqueness of each character and their costume. This book's uniqueness lies in its ability to remove creatures that would normally only exist in festivals and rituals from the chaos. Captured in still, beautiful compositions, they are at once terrifying and humorous, cute, and incredibly unique. The explanatory pages at the end of the book detail each character's meaning, role, origin, and costume characteristics, making this a must-read. Currently, the Charles Fréger Book Fair is being held at NADiff Duchamp until May 15th. In addition to Charles Fréger's photobooks, such as "Wilder Mann" and "Bretonnes," the fair features books on indigenous cultures, folklore, and folk costumes around the world. Additionally, eight original postcards are on sale: six from "WILDER MANN" and one each from "BRETONNES" and "EMPIRE."

* "WILDER MANN" is a book jointly published by Japan and Germany, and NADiff Duchamp carries both the German and Japanese versions of the book. The Japanese version is currently out of stock at the publisher, so reservations are being accepted. (Reprint scheduled for late July)

[Book information]
German version of "WILDER MANN"
Photographs: Charles Fréger
Published by: Kehrer
Language: German
Format: Hardcover / 170 x 222 mm
Published: March 2012
Price: 5,100 yen

Japanese version of "WILDER MANN"
Photographs: Charles Fréger
Published by: Seigensha
Language: Japanese
Format: Hardcover / 170 x 222 mm
Published: November 2013
Price: 3,800 yen