The first BEAMS shop opened in February 1976 in a tiny space of only 21.5 square meters (231 square feet) situated subtly inside of a building that later entirely became the current menswear flagship, BEAMS HARAJUKU. A pioneer of lifestyle retailing, BEAMS imported and sold fashion and homeware products displayed to feel like a UCLA student dorm room, and named its shop American Life Shop BEAMS.
