Beams Co., Ltd. will exhibit products from the late 1970s, when BEAMS was founded, as well as early shopping bags, at "Fashion in Japan 1945-2020: Trends and Society," the world's first large-scale exhibition unravelling the history of Japanese fashion from the postwar period to the present, held this year at the Iwami Art Museum and the National Art Center, Tokyo. BEAMS, celebrating its 45th anniversary this year, was born amidst changing times, and visitors will be able to view valuable archive materials and commentary on the role that the small, approximately 21.5m² shop and the community that gathered there played in Japanese fashion history. Additionally, at the Iwami Art Museum, where an exhibition will begin on March 20, 2021, souvenir goods featuring the "American Life Shop BEAMS" logo, which was displayed in the store at the time of the company's founding, will be on sale.



In this spectacular exhibition, which "examines the trajectory of unique fashion in postwar Japan from two angles: the side of the designers (senders) who imagined the clothes and ideas, and the side of the consumers (receivers) who wore the clothes and sometimes created the movements of the times, with reference to the media that became mainstream in each era, such as newspapers, magazines and advertisements" (quoted from the exhibition pamphlet), BEAMS will be introduced alongside many of Japan's leading brands and designers for playing a part in the spread of casual wear and the diversification of values from the mid to late 1970s. Examples of products such as shirts, shoes and mousetraps that were sold at the first store that opened in Harajuku, Tokyo in 1976, as well as shopping bags from around 1977, and a store model of the first store and "BEAMS F," which opened in 1978 as a traditional men's style store, will be on display, along with pages from "Popeye," a magazine that was launched around the same time, to explain how the enthusiasm and sensibility of the staff led to the formation of a lifestyle-oriented store.

The same exhibition will also be held at the National Art Center, Tokyo (Roppongi, Tokyo) from June 9th.

"Fashion in Japan 1945-2020 - Trends and Society" Special Exhibition Overview

Shimane Exhibition
Period: Saturday, March 20th (National Holiday) – Sunday, May 16th, 2021
Venue: Shimane Prefectural Iwami Art Museum
Address: Shimane Arts Center "Grand Toit", 5-15 Ariake-cho, Masuda City, Shimane Prefecture
Tel: 0856-31-1860
Opening hours: 9:30-18:00 (last admission 30 minutes before closing)
URL: http://www.grandtoit.jp/museum/fij2020/

Tokyo Exhibition
Period: Wednesday, June 9th, 2021 – Monday, September 6th
Venue: The National Art Center, Tokyo, Special Exhibition Gallery 1E (Roppongi, Tokyo)
Address: 7-22-2 Roppongi, Minato-ku, Tokyo
TEL: 03-5777-8600 (Hello Dial)
Opening hours: 10:00 - 18:00 (last admission 30 minutes before closing) (subject to change)
URL: https://fij2020.jp

Example of exhibit: BEAMS shopping bags from the early days (circa 1977)

Shopping bags from the early days of BEAMS (around 1977)
Shimane Exhibition Souvenir Goods
This is the first time that the original logo, which was used for only a few years after the company's founding, has been commercialized.

Souvenir goods printed with the original BEAMS logo
(From left in the photo, all prices include tax)
・Masks: White, grey, various types: 869 yen
・Keychains: Rectangular, round, various types: 1,078 yen
・T-shirt: Short sleeve, white: 3,080 yen

*Not available for sale online or at BEAMS (stores/online shop)



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