| Humble Beginnings | | | | designs to see if his company could come up with a |
| The Robert Daskal Group had its humble beginnings in | | | | complete collection of silk neckties that were hand |
| the 1930s. It was known as a retail company named | | | | painted to see if this would become a hit in the well |
| Besleys. In the downtown Chicago area there were | | | | dressed man. Twenty-five ties were created, hand |
| three stores, and the company made a name for itself | | | | painted and hand sewn and were delivered to the |
| by having many yards of printed Italian silk imported | | | | store on a Friday. By Monday morning, they were just |
| and then making pocket squares, neckties and jacket | | | | about depleted. A totally new way of doing business |
| linings for loyal customers. These men would not buy a | | | | emerged! |
| suit without making sure that they could get a Besleys | | | | Daskal hired students from the School of Art Institute |
| tie to match. This company was well known for its | | | | in Chicago in order to keep up with the demand of |
| variety of designs and patterns, making neckwear for | | | | neckwear needed. They helped to design as well as |
| most of Chicago's prominent businessmen from 1930 | | | | produce the collections. Many other retail stores |
| until the present day under the name of the Robert | | | | jumped on the bandwagon and Besleys then changed |
| Daskal Group. | | | | its name to the Robert Daskal Group. It created four |
| | | | new collections a year for such stores as Nordstrom, |
| Hand Painted Neckwear | | | | Neiman Marcus, Marshall Fields and Saks. The student |
| Besleys was always able to maintain the capability of | | | | artists could not keep up with the supply and demand |
| hand painting its own silk. Many of these men's ties | | | | so full time that artists were hired to take the place of |
| were produced in the 1930's and 1940's when the | | | | the students. Many of these full time employees still |
| fashion rage for men was hand painted silk neckwear. | | | | work for Robert Daskal, and it is now more than |
| In 1988, Robert Daskal was approached by a leading | | | | twenty years later. |
| menswear store that was known for its cutting edge | | | | |