Brands seem to be understanding that they’ll gain far more viewers by letting us in on their creative process instead of letting some marketing lackey write some useless buzzwords. Take the Stansfield blog for example, They’ve started to show some of their research for their SS10 collection and so far, it seems like they’ll be incorporating some nautical influences. Take a look at some more Stansfield SS10 research pictures after the jump.

Having your home look like a specific page from the ikea catalogue out is a common problem for most young homemakers. The solution? Buy one or two more expensive items and you can at least pretend you have a modicum of originality. This 1950’s chair, designed by Jacques Croag, will ensure that your house never looks ikea’d out. Get it from Fears and Kahn.

Ann Demeulemeester makes sneakers and they look good but we do have some difficulty with their crushingly high pricepoint. We agree that the cross braid stitching on the ivory based high top is a nice touch and that the mesh on the low certainly warrants consideration… but the 870$US pricepoint puts it at the very high end of the sneaker game, which is clearly their intended market. Get them now from AR.

More views of the Ann Demeulemeester Sneakers after the jump.

A few pieces from the Nom de Guerre Spring 2009 collection are making their way into stores. We’re fond of the knit striped crew neck sweater as well as the simple black blazer from NdG. The sweater comes in grey and features a diagonal patterned knit while the blazer falls to form on the body with it’s two button single breasted closure. Available now from Oki-ni.

More views of the Nom de Guerre Spring 2009 Blazer and Jumper after the jump.

If you have not yet had the opportunity to visit Portland, Maine, please consider a visit to the PTLDME blog. You’ll learn a great deal about this New England seaport community as well as get the heads up look at the Rogues Gallery Spring 2009 Collection. The looks for Spring are representative of the city, which has a deep history in the nautical world – heavy knit cardigans, polos, wind breakers, and more.

More views of the Rogues Gallery Spring/Summer 2009 collection after the jump.

I could have used this cashmere cardigan from Gilded Age this week in Rangely, Maine. It was close to -20F at the top of the mountain – cold enough to binge on bourbon with the locals to stay warm. Gilded Age’s emblematic bear cardigan would not have only kept me warm but provided me with wears that locals would have no problem understanding. Cashmere, bears, and booze. What else would we need? Available now from Gravitypope.

Band of Outsiders is one of those fashion houses that just puts it all out there. As they have done in seasons past, Band of Outsiders drops hints and nibbles of their Spring 2009 collection via their blog at band.bandofoutsiders.com. The views of the Spring line come in the form of Polaroid instants shot on locale during the actual lookbook shoots. You get the inside raw look of the clothing in action, rather than the usual clean and proper view. And if this is not enough, you can watch the Band of Outsiders Spring 2009 preview video for an even more personal look into the line.

More views of the Band of Outsiders Spring 2009 Collection after the jump.

We caught up with Ben Ferencz and Nathan Freeman of Freeman Transport. Based in Montana, they make bikes and accessories by hand in the United States to meet the exacting standards of the traveler. Over the phone we discussed the nuts and bolts of the company and, most importantly, the need to invigorate American manufacture. Read the interview here.

Four years after opening their first store in London, Maison Martin Margiela moves across the street into new digs at 22 Bruton Street. Like all Margiela shops, the space itself becomes part of the display as care is taken in respecting the building’s original form and turning it into a “found object.” “The atmosphere of this shop, adapted and decorated by Maison Martin Margiela, also draws on the prolific and iconographic use of whites – of furniture, objects, fabrics and textures, old and new – typical of the spirit of the Maison Martin Margiela’s Paris.”

Norman Cherner designed this bent plywood Armchair in 1958. The unique aspect here is that the laminate is of graduated thickness, leading to a structural soundness and improved comfort. Reissued by Cherner Chair Company, owned and operated by Norman’s sons, the Armchair is fabricated in the USA. (Via Retro To Go).