How Beams survived Japan’s new streetwear wave

Beams’ start in life was humble. Founded in 1976 by Etsuzo Shitara to bring authentic U.S. goods to Japan, its first store was an unassuming 21.5 sqm space tucked away in the then-burgeoning Tokyo district of Harajuku. Almost five decades on, Beams stands as a global success story. Its modest storefront has since expanded to occupy the entire building, now serving as its Tokyo flagship menswear store. Today, Beams operates 167 stores across Japan, alongside 10 international locations, including in New York, Milan, London, and Paris. “Unlike many heritage brands that lost their edge chasing hype and scale, Beams has built a business on scarcity, subculture, and curation,” says Tom Garland, founder of creative growth company Edition+partners. “They’re a great example of a middle-tier fashion brand, brands which occupy a sweet spot between accessible fashion and luxury, defined by competitive price points, a quality-first ethos, and strong cultural cachet.” From standalone boutique to lifestyle hub Beams was founded with a vision of bringing a slice of Ivy League culture to Tokyo. Its debut store (originally coined American Life Shop Beams) was styled like a UCLA dorm room, offering fashion and lifestyle goods inspired by American college life. In the early days, co-founder Osamu Shigematsu would personally source unique products from California — pieces that weren’t available anywhere else in Japan. But, for Beams, it has never been just about selling clothes, according to Garland. “It builds worlds,” he says. The label sells an aspirational lifestyle; initially tapping into the era’s growing fascination with American pop culture, today, its curated selection of multi-brand imports resonates with local style savants who see its products as status symbols and collectable keepsakes. Michael Causton, co-founder of market research company JapanConsuming, describes Beams as a custodian of culture. “What Beams does first is get excited by a cultural movement, or an artistic concept, or a fashion trend and then looks for items that express that and buy into it to present this movement or concept or trend to its customers,” he says. “It is, in essence, a retailer of cultural ideas that customers can buy into through the products in-store.” Though Beams doesn’t disclose exact sales figures (the company is estimated to be worth around $599 million, according to Causton), its ubiquity across Japan suggests sustained success. Now helmed by CEO and president Yō Shitara, the brand continues to evolve, balancing its heritage with an ability to adapt to new consumer trends. Aggressive international expansion might seem like a natural next step, but Garland argues that Beams’ allure lies in its measured approach to growth. Beams has remained selective about its local physical footprint over saturating foreign markets — a restraint underscored by Japan’s enduring strength as a fashion retail hub. According to Euromonitor, the country’s apparel and footwear markets have experienced steady year-on-year growth since 2021, with projections indicating a continued — albeit modest — rise of around 3% through 2026. Even when the yen rallied in the third quarter of last year, luxury brands remained bullish on the country, a bright spot in an otherwise sluggish global retail climate. A collaborative spirit Beams’ evolution from retailer to cultural powerhouse owes much to its diverse partnership playbook, which spans several product categories and creative disciplines. “Whether through its record label, coffee shops, or gallery spaces, Beams has positioned itself as an arbiter of contemporary culture,” says Garland. “This level of immersion transforms customers into participants. People aren’t just buying a jacket, they’re buying into an entire aesthetic, a community, a way of life.” The company’s ability to shape-shift across multiple sub-labels — including Beams Plus, Beams F, International Gallery Beams, Fennica (formerly Beams Modern Living), Beams Records, and Beams Boy — has also allowed it to add new revenue streams. It’s also helped position Beams as a lifestyle retailer without category borders, says Causton. Causton highlights Beams’ latest venture, Beams Life — a 1,000 sqm entertainment-driven store in the Yokohama More’s shopping center — as a prime example. Dubbed a “Happy Life Solution Community,” it goes beyond retail, offering second-hand clothes, books, a bar, dining space, and labels like F, International Gallery, SSZ, and Culturet, its art and culture project. The space also hosts events. The company also actively embraces DNA reinterpretation. Over the years, Beams has built up a high-profile collaborator roster that spans brands including Palace, On, Fred Perry, Red Wing, Coca-Cola, Seiko, Arc'teryx, and Birkenstock — alongside longtime partners like Levi’s and The North Face. It’s an eclectic and often unexpected mix, which, Garland says, keeps the brand authentically plugged into youth culture in a way that feels authentic over forced. "Beams does collaborations differently," says Andrew Lam, co-founder of lifestyle agency Touchldn. "It’s not just about slapping logos together, but about mixing culture, heritage, and fresh ideas in a way that feels real." Beams’ collaboration strategy stands out for its focus on elevating emerging creatives, explains Lam. “Take Beams T x LN-CC, which launched last August, where 10 creatives got to showcase their work. It’s a different approach from most retailers, who usually stick to safe, big-name partnerships,” he adds. Japan’s new streetwear wave As global attention on Japan’s concept-driven spaces intensifies, Beams has held fort amid fierce competition, proving its adaptability across decades of shifting trends. It hasn’t all been smooth sailing, though. Beams has weathered intense competition, from Tokyo’s “DC Boom” of the 1980s — when homegrown names like Yohji Yamamoto and Rei Kawakubo took center stage — to the rise of mass-market powerhouses like Uniqlo and Muji. The streetwear explosion of the 1990s and beyond only upped the stakes, with buzzy disruptors like Kapital, Cav Empt, Needles, and Softs reshaping the arena. The arrival of Western players vying for a slice of the market share has brought further heat, as brands turn to the East to offset spending downturns elsewhere. An arbiter of style But what sets Beams apart is its hyper-local approach, says Garland. He points to the label’s sales teams, who double as tastemakers and are encouraged to showcase their individuality and interests to build strong customer rapport. Causton agrees. “The company culture devolves decision-making down to buyers and shop staff, giving the buying process and store management a small-company feel,” he says. Beams was also ahead of the curve in leveraging staff as digital marketers. “An important factor was using shop staff to market directly to clients online,” Causton says. The brand was an early adopter of Staff Start, a blog-driven e-commerce tool by Vanish Standard, which remains a major success in Japan. Beams now has 2,000 staff posting accounts, generating 60% of its direct e-commerce sales, says Causton. Despite its immense local and international clout, Beams stays true to its roots, resisting the temptation to dilute its image as it expands globally. “Beams maintains an element of unreachability,” says Garland. “There’s no global e-commerce, no English Instagram, no oversaturation. For a new generation obsessed with discovery and authenticity, Beams still feels like a secret worth knowing.”

How Beams survived Japan’s new streetwear wave

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Published February 20, 2025

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How Beams survived Japan’s new streetwear wave