After his departure from Jack Spade, Andy Spade took a hiatus from the apparel industry and moved into a storefront on Great Jones to refocus his attention on Partners & Spade with Anthony Sperduti. Taking on his experience as an ad exec he and Sperduti helped to launch and guide big and small brands that included Warby Parker, Harry’s, Boast, and J.Crew. Along with a Jack Spade vet, Andy Spade returns with a new apparel line called Sleepy Jones made up of pajamas, boxers, socks and t-shirts for men and women. Though the name suggests night time wear, it’s made for all day lounging. So you can imagine yourself as Picasso, leisurely sipping on a glass of wine while painting your next masterpiece. Or if you’re confident enough, do what Schnabel does and go out to dinner in your pj’s. Don’t fancy yourself as an artist? It’s just as appropriate for the less art-inclined. See more of Sleepy Jones and Spades’s wit and humor on their site.

Local 172 was a stuff made of legends. During its launch in 2011 it garnered a lot of attention buoyed by the press promising a shop stocked with vintage Ralph Lauren, Pendleton, L.L. Bean, Woolrich and others. The store rarely opened and was available by appointment only. Meanwhile their tumblr teased us with their abundant finds. Then quietly, without much notice, they left their lofty Tribeca space and moved to the Garment District, where they presumably still operate. For some, it was the best vintage Americana shop that they never knew existed.

Now comes word about a similar shop based in Austin. Sam Hill, launched by Kyle Muller last July, began popping up in retail spaces, restaurants, and music venues, including Billy Reid and Stag. Open for a few days or even hours at a time and disappearing until the next event. His mobile storefront has been making its rounds and gaining the attention from Austin’s finest. Plans for future venues include a barge. Sam Hill specializes in men’s vintage military, collegiate, and workwear with a focus on American brands like Pendleton, Woolrich, Lee Storm Rider and L.L.Bean. For those that aren’t anywhere near Austin, you can get a taste of Sam Hill’s stock with their newly launched site with inventory constantly being added.

We’ve been a fan of UNITED ARROWS casual and refined classic designs for some time now. Unfortunately the label isn’t readily available Stateside. Their lookbooks may be the closest you will get to seeing their full line this side of the hemisphere. For Spring/Summer ‘13, UNITED ARROWS took a different approach, rather than the typical slideshow, they styled their own line of men’s and women’s designs with other labels and create a vertical scrolling wall of photos. It’s a mixture of in-studio and on location photographs of what appears to be all shot on film. Accompanying their casual suit and shirt designs, stripes and prints are in abundance. Leopard, floral, and of course camo are seen throughout this season’s collection. View their lookbook here.

The guys behind LA based design shop, National Forest are over achievers, not to say that’s a bad thing. Their day to day work for clients like Burton, The Standard Hotel, Target, and many others aren’t enough to satisfy their creative desires. The founding partners are consistently showing in galleries locally and internationally. And now they’ve gone and launched a new apparel brand this past weekend. The line is called The Times, short for These Are The Times. For those that are familiar with National Forest’s work, you will recognize recurring themes, iconography, and typography with a healthy dose of humor. Cosmic pretzels, googly eyes, and coastal imagery are just some of the designs laid out on t-shirts and sweatshirts. Visit The Times to see more from their inaugural season.

You may have noticed that things have gotten really quiet in this here parts. For the past six months I’ve been working on a project with J.Crew and @radical.media, helping to produce a series of short films to celebrate the brand’s quality initiative. Today sees the launch of the first two films as J.Crew travels to Europe to visit the famed Italian mill, Vitale Canonica Barberis and drops in on the factory responsible for their Etta pumps. The stories dive into the personalities behind Barberis and Jenna Lyons’s love affair with shoes. View more after the jump.

Though subscription based services are nothing new, we were recently introduced to something that we found intriguing. Svbscription, a parcel service for men launched earlier this year, brings a selection of premium goods to the doorsteps of its customers. A package is sent out every quarter based on themes like travel and study. Each parcel is stylishly packaged in a miniature crate containing items essential for that theme. Past brands included Steven Alan, Malin + Goetz, Want Les Essential, Le Labo, Loden Dager, Mr. and Mrs. Smith and others. The contents in each package are kept a secret until it is delivered. The next edition is expected to ship in December with the theme of leisure.