It seems appropriate listening to Beggars Banquet while writing about Workshop, the design studio founded by Jessi Arrington, who at Workshop’s Third Star Anniversary party last night showed us her wedding cowboy boots.

“These are actually the boots I got married in!” said Jessi sitting atop a bank of Milton Glaser’s flat files. Mick and Keith would be proud.

credits: Settlement Heart for LVHRD

Jessi's Wedding Boots

Jessi started Workshop two years ago in a Carroll Gardens apartment with business partner and husband, Creighton Mershon, and Josh Stewart.

“We were all working 9-6 every day,” said Mershon, “coming home and working on freelance projects, all of us kind of helping each other out, and eventually it just made more sense to lose the day jobs and take on work as a team.”

Jessi and Becca

For the Third Star Party Workshop branded their clothing, napkins, plates and even the poster tubes with three stars.

Two years later, with the addition of Becca Moore (who left a salaried job with benefits to blaze the design path with Workshop) Workshop is managing a vast circumference of work. Most recently they went to print on a biography of Henri-Georges Doll which they designed with creative direction from Milton Glaser, who works on the second floor.

credits: Settlement Heart for LVHRD

Four Stars

Workshop from left to right: Creighton Mershon, Jessi Arrington, Becca Moore, Josh Stewart

“Milton rented us our first space in this building,” said Jessi, referring to a 10’ X ’15 piece of real estate in Workshop’s studio, now used to house surplus books and design strata. “He gave it to us for what I know is below market value. He was so kind.”

Very graciously, Jessi let us peek in on Glaser’s archives at the back of Workshop’s studio. “Design heaven,” said Jessi. “It’s where designs want to go when they die.”

credits: Settlement Heart for LVHRD

Design Heaven

Milton Glaser's archives.

Guests started to arrive for the party and Jessi went into full-on host mode, opening wine, laying our hors d’oeuvres, taking coats and hugging friends.

“Am I doing alright?” she said collapsing into a chair with a big grin. “I never know what to do! There are so many people I know and I feel like I have to make sure they’re all doing ok.”

credits: Settlement Heart for LVHRD

In media res

Carlos sets up at Workshop's three-star anniversarty party. One star for every year workshop advances the design world.

Workshop had more than adequately prepared for the party. Not only was the food and drink bountiful, they also printed copies of their winning poster from the BIFOLD: CNFLCT Veer Poster Design Competition to distribute to guests at their own expense.

credits: Workshop

Workshop's winning entry in the Veer Poster Design Competition

Every box is full of a conflict they archived as a team for future reference.

In the poster, Becca is the only one actually standing on a box. The rest is design magic.

“We stuffed that box with magazines (far right) and books so it was pretty solid,” said Josh, but it was still dangerous. I’m always afraid OSHA is going to come in when we’re doing something like that.”

Later the party moved around the corner to The Hook and Ladder Pub. Workshop bought everyone drinks and had a dozen pizzas delivered.

credits: Settlement Heart for LVHRD

All ye who enter here...

But don't abandon hope!

Jessi and Creighton were having a blast, drinking the bar’s specialty, a Hooker, something from Spring Break poured in plastic measuring cups.

“This is trouble,” said Creighton. “Everyone who is supposed to be at work tomorrow is here. And we have that conference call…”

But that was about the last mention of work. Other than when Workshop’s lawyer showed up. We love partying with lawyers.

“It’s so bizarre,” said Jessi with her back to Game 1 of the World Series. “I was this girl in Mississippi pouring over design books and now…well…I’ve still got the boots.”