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BEAMS

Basic information

Country
Japan
Founded
1976

Overview

BEAMS was founded by Etsuzo Shitara in Harajuku, Tokyo, in February 1976 as a select shop and fashion brand. Starting with its first store, “American Life Shop BEAMS,” it has curated and sold domestic and international brands while developing its own labels. In addition to clothing, it plans and sells products in areas such as accessories and interior design, and works on collaborations and joint projects with companies and local governments. “Happy Life Solution Company” is a phrase it has used since its founding.

Concept

To transform the lifestyles and culture of Japanese youth and give rise to bright, joyful social phenomena.

Tagline

Happy Life Solution Company

Sub-brands

  • BEAMS F 1978

    A men's dress label that originated from BEAMS in 1978, with the F in its label standing for FUTURE. Distinct from BEAMS's American casualwear, it offers well-tailored suits and other substantial garments grounded in European classicism, as well as casualwear for adults with a modern interpretation. While occupying a distinct niche from the American-focused BEAMS PLUS, it functions as a pillar supporting BEAMS's menswear division.

    The menswear dresswear pillar focused on European classicism

  • International Gallery BEAMS 1981

    A line that curates designer items from Japan and abroad across genres, from independent labels to high-end brands. Rather than focusing on developing its own styles, as BEAMS PLUS and BEAMS F do, it brings together the strengths of external brands around the latest trends. It has the strongest emphasis on curated selections within BEAMS and is positioned to shape how designer clothing is presented. It also has its own original IG label, balancing selected items with original products.

    An editorial-style select line specializing in designer curation

  • Ray BEAMS 1984

    Launched in 1984 as BEAMS’ first women’s label, the line freely combines trends and basics around the idea of “The Way of Chic.” While BEAMS BOY adapts elements derived from menswear for women, Ray BEAMS expands from everyday wear to dressing with a sensibility for women. Among BEAMS’ women’s lines, it is positioned as the most accessible entry point.

    An accessible women’s entry point for enjoying style with a free-spirited approach

  • bPr BEAMS 1992

    The label began in 1992 with the planning of household goods, stationery, and accessories, and presents BEAMS’ founding principle of BASIC & EXCITING from a product perspective. It curates items gathered from around the world, spanning everything from junk to high-end pieces, and broadens the scope of everyday life beyond clothing. While overlapping with BEAMS JAPAN and BEAMS CULTUART, it plays a role in expressing the character of BEAMS through the curation of objects.

    A lifestyle-focused line that expands on BEAMS’ origins from a goods perspective

  • BEAMS BOY 1998

    A label launched in 1998 for women drawn to the strength and background of menswear. Sharing BEAMS' BASIC & EXCITING, it reinterprets heavy-duty clothing and menswear created as staples for women's outfits through its own perspective. Whereas Ray BEAMS broadens the scope of women's self-expression through dress, BEAMS BOY centers on the context of men's clothing.

    A core line that adapts menswear to women's clothing.

  • BEAMS PLUS 1999

    A men’s-only label that emerged from BEAMS’ core men’s casualwear and launched in 1999. Taking American Ivy, workwear, sportswear, and military styles from the 1940s to the mid-1960s as its starting point, it reinterprets authentic menswear designed to be worn for many years. It marked its 25th anniversary in 2024 and is also expanding overseas. Its role is distinct from BEAMS F’s European classic style and BEAMS’ versatile casualwear, with American traditional style at its core.

    A core men’s line that delves deeply into American traditional style

  • BEAMS RECORDS 1999

    Launched in 1999 as a label conveying the spirit of the times and its essence through music. In addition to records and CDs, it offers audio equipment, books, accessories, and bags, extending the appeal of music into everyday life. Within BEAMS CULTUART’s cultural sphere, it specializes in music and strengthens pathways beyond fashion.

    A cultural strand that curates everyday life through music

  • BEAMS T 2001

    Launched in 2001 as a T-shirt-focused label, it translates art graphics into everyday wear and expresses BEAMS’ editorial sensibility through its lightest item category. It also collaborates widely with fields outside fashion, such as games and anime, connecting cultures through T-shirts as a canvas. Within the clothing lineup, it functions as a specialist line that broadens points of contact with culture.

    A specialist focus for broadening cultural connections through T-shirts

  • EFFE BEAMS 2002

    A line launched in 2002 to support a balanced life for women who value quality. Its simple assortment, featuring classical details and beautiful forms, has a dressier quality and a more structured feel than Demi-Luxe BEAMS. Among BEAMS’ lines for women, it is positioned as the line responsible for a timeless sense of quality.

    A premium dresswear focus with a stronger classic character

  • Vermeerist BEAMS 2003

    A label built around the idea that “getting dressed is fun,” combining products sourced overseas with original designs. Its products are sold mainly through physical stores, where the buyer personally conveys their appeal to customers. Unlike other BEAMS lines, which make a broad range of curated products available, it has a strongly independent positioning that turns in-store conversations and the buyer’s own perspective into value.

    An independent line that foregrounds the buyer’s discerning eye.

  • merrier BEAMS 2004

    A maternity and nursing label relaunched in 2015 under the direction of Kodomo BEAMS to support people from the period before childbirth through life with a baby. Through clothing and accessories, it helps meet the everyday needs of parents. While Kodomo BEAMS broadens children’s sensibilities, merrier BEAMS addresses practical needs during pregnancy, nursing, and early childcare.

    A family-focused offering that provides support from pregnancy through childcare

  • BEAMS LIGHTS 2007

    A label within BEAMS that proposed luxury casualwear for enjoying fashion in comfort. Unlike the main line’s curated retail offering and the various specialist lines, it was developed as a separate concept bridging everyday wear and more polished styles. Its end was announced on June 1, 2024, and it is regarded as one of BEAMS’ labels that contributed to its offerings for adults.

    A separate concept bridging everyday and more polished styles

  • BEAMS Mangart 2008

    A project that handles the production and branding of pop culture, centered on manga, anime, and games, and also encompassing idols, theater, and television. It uses the editorial perspective cultivated by BEAMS to convey the passion behind works and their creators from multiple angles. Within BEAMS CULTUART, it functions as a specialist line with expertise in character culture and production practice. It traces its roots to a T-shirt label launched in 2008 and has since expanded its scope.

    A line responsible for the production and communication of manga and anime

  • TOKYO CULTUART by BEAMS 2008

    A label launched in 2008 that shares art, design, and culture emerging from Tokyo with the world. In addition to artworks, design products, and related books, it also deals in limited-edition toys and sofubi, presenting a view of the present that encompasses Tokyo’s diversity. Within BEAMS CULTUART, it is positioned as an active line at the forefront of contemporary culture in Tokyo and Japan.

    An active line extending Tokyo-born culture outward

  • BEAMS GOLF 2011

    A golf-focused label developed by BEAMS to bring together fashion and functionality. Rather than extending everyday clothing, it is curated for the specific purpose of golf, bringing together outfits for play that encompass collaborations and accessories. With ORANGE LABEL and PURPLE LABEL under it, it serves as the central label uniting proposals ranging from sporty to more classic styles within a single system.

    A central label specializing in clothing for golf.

  • B:MING by BEAMS 2012

    A comprehensive label spanning men's and women's casualwear and businesswear, as well as kidswear, babywear, and miscellaneous goods. It has served as an entry point for bringing BEAMS' sensibility to a broad range of generations, presenting everyday clothing and lifestyle goods together. The label's discontinuation was announced on January 5, 2026, and it is positioned as a broadly accessible line alongside BEAMS HEART and BEAMS mini.

    A comprehensive, broadly accessible line for the whole family

  • BEAMS Planets 2013

    A label that connects people and things around the world, delivering original products together with their stories. While BEAMS JAPAN is responsible for Japan-focused communication, BEAMS Planets expands lifestyle proposals from a perspective that spans countries and regions, developing its presence through a permanent location in Shimokitazawa and pop-ups in various places. It is characterized by curating products with attention to their backgrounds and the contexts of their makers.

    A lifestyle curation hub connecting people and things around the world

  • BEAMS JAPAN 2016

    A label that uses Japan as its keyword, curating food, fashion, craft, and other fields from BEAMS’ perspective and sharing them in Japan and abroad. It redirects BEAMS’ editorial ability, previously used to present good things from around the world, toward Japanese craftsmanship and sensibilities, and functions as a platform for sharing TEAM JAPAN. While BEAMS Planets takes a global perspective, this label is centered on Japan.

    A central platform for bringing together and sharing Japanese culture

  • BEAMS COUTURE 2017

    Launched in 2017, the label began by hand-reworking deadstock lying unused in BEAMS’s warehouses and turning it into new value. It also actively collaborates with creators and brands, foregrounding one-of-a-kind pieces and the regeneration of materials rather than mass-produced edits. Among BEAMS’s reworking initiatives, it occupies the most experimental and hands-on position.

    An upcycling line focused on regeneration and one-of-a-kind pieces

  • BEAMS CULTUART 2022

    A project that promotes BEAMS’ art, entertainment, and design fields globally. It curates and combines contemporary art, anime, music, graphics, and other areas, expanding cultural touchpoints beyond clothing. It encompasses TOKYO CULTUART by BEAMS and BEAMS Mangart, and functions as an overarching cultural axis connected with BEAMS RECORDS and BEAMS T.

    A cultural axis spanning art and design

  • BEAMS GOLF ORANGE LABEL

    Within BEAMS GOLF, a line with a more casual orientation that incorporates elements of American casual style and outdoor wear. It moves away from the conventional image of golf wear, incorporating playing functionality into its materials and design while being structured for people who enjoy golf in clothes that feel close to their everyday wear. As an entry point to BEAMS GOLF as a whole, it takes on the roles of lightness and practicality.

    A casual entry point rooted in an everyday sensibility

  • BEAMS GOLF PURPLE LABEL

    A line within BEAMS GOLF that follows traditional golf style while adding a contemporary touch through its silhouettes and use of color. Its distinctive materials combine the texture of natural fibers with functionality, while paneling and adjustments to details refine the fit. The line proposes attire for adult golfers with a playful spirit and serves to emphasize a more classic character than ORANGE LABEL.

    A high-quality, classic line for adults

  • BEAMS HEART

    An original label based on BEAMS’ standard designs, offering a wide range of styles for men and women, from casualwear to dresswear. It pays attention to quality while incorporating a measured sense of the season, and serves as an entry point for bringing BEAMS’ sensibility into a broad range of everyday life. Unlike its core specialist lines, it is a diffusion line that extends the BEAMS identity to a wide audience.

    An accessible diffusion line that extends the BEAMS identity

  • BEAMS mini

    An original label that brings BEAMS’ sense of reassurance and trust to children’s clothing. It adds fashion appeal to basics through vibrant colors and playful designs, while also emphasizing comfort for everyday wear. While Kodomo BEAMS is responsible for curation and experiences, BEAMS mini functions as an accessible line that offers a broad range of children’s clothing for everyday wear.

    An accessible line of children’s clothing designed for everyday comfort

  • Demi-Luxe BEAMS

    A line proposing intelligent, high-quality basics that incorporate the current mood, for a more composed, grown-up everyday life than Ray BEAMS. It combines the practicality to work for both professional and casual wear without leaning as classical as EFFE BEAMS, bringing the wardrobe together with a contemporary balance. Among the groups of women’s lines, it occupies a position close to the core, balancing versatility and refinement.

    A women’s line focused on intelligent, high-quality everyday clothing