RYAN BESHEL
WORDS BY GABRIELLE POSHADLO + PHOTOGRAPH BY POLINA OSHEROV
“Ryan Beshel of Six4 Creative insists he didn’t choose a career in public relations. Rather, he says, it chose him.” Ryan Beshel of Six4 Creative insists he didn’t choose a career in public relations. Rather, he says, it chose him. And to be sure, while he counts among his clients some of Chicago’s poshest dining and fashion brands, the tattooed man who sat opposite me at happy hour recently in Chicago’s Old Town did not embody the PR executive stereotype. In a teal tank top, hat cocked to the right, the showpiece of his ink collection spanned his chest: the enormous, menacing black bird spying some enticing prey, mostly metaphorically, but I suspect sometimes not. “I’m the one with the bird tattoo,” he says over the phone before our meeting. “And I’m wearing designer socks, because of fashion.” I was sold on his brand already. Seven years ago, when Beshel was a tender 26 years old, his personal style was different than the measured casual look I admired in person, but most certainly just as distinctive. As the author of The Bowtie Memoirs, a blog documenting fashion and the good life around the Windy City, he jaunted about town wearing his signature accessory (he estimates his bowtie collection tops 50), snapping photos and making new friends. His memorable blogger image, paired with the contacts he made by day working at Michigan Avenue magazine led him to channel these assets into an honest
to goodness publicity business, boasting clients like chic eateries Ruxbin and NAHA, and menswear shop Notre. Backed by a small team, Beshel prides himself on his ability to multitask and the personal service he’s able to deliver. If NAHA requires a photoshoot, he shoots the food and occasionally has a friend style it He’s been known to befriend the staff at client restaurants in search of ripe social media content for the posting. Proof of this ingenuity came as he dashed off weets at our happy hour. “Excuse me, babe,” he says with a wink and a smile that told me we were already friends. “I’ve gotta PR for a minute.” Recent legislation eliminated the City of Chicago’s longstanding support of the fashion industry, delivering a considerable blow to the same community that brought us the Merchandise Mart, the Miracle Mile, and Michelle Obama signature style. While replacing government funding is a tall order, Beshel sees it as an opportunity to try his hand at something new. “Things are up in the air right now,” he says. “Who will take it, and continue to make things happen?” Together with friends from the local media and those formerly with the City of Chicago, Beshel hopes to make filling that void a part of his legacy. While this group has no name or mission statement, they do have a first task in mind: develop an exhaustive website that connects
retailers with makers as a replacement for the defunct Chicago Fashion Resource. Beshel’s playful tone grew serious as he talked about this project, his voice reflecting both the uncertainty he clearly feels toward its outcome and the resolve he has to complete it successfully. I made a comment about how he’s the perfect person to take it on. He laughs: “My dad always says, ‘Don’t forget, you’re not a big deal.’” As Beshel rose from the table to hug me and run off o the first of several events on his itinerary, I was struck by his 6’4” frame, for which his company is named. His height isn’t menacing like the bird on his chest nor is it intimidating. Instead, I think it’s a small part of what makes his dad incorrect.
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