The sharp among you will have caught Martyn Bal’s AW09 collection hitting websites last week. We managed to catch up with the designer and ask him about the collection’s inspiration, his favourite pieces and where the label’s heading.

Check after the jump for the Q&A along with pictures of the collection.

Like the bags and the accessories, Jil Sander’s AW 2009 footwear has a level of maturity rarely seen in designer collections. If this was four years ago and an awful hip-hop site, we might have called this ‘grown and sexy’ – but it’s not so we won’t. The focus in this collection is on immaculate finishing and fine materials instead of unneccessary design details. Take a look at the full collection after the jump.

01. DJ Zinc Live @ The End Closing Weekend MP3

I spent every last dollar to get BA flights from BOS to LON to hit a few choice nights at this club – back in the day. For all the hc, breaks, jungle, and dnb heads that must read Selectism. #respect. (BNTL)

02. Element Outdoor Grill by Fuego

“You may have seen Fuego’s grills in many high-end design magazines hailing the contemporary grills for their designs and innovative features. Up to now the grills may have been a little out of the way for the regular consumer but now they’ve gone mass market” (Acquire)

03. Box House / Alan Chu & Cristiano Kato

“During the work, the caretaker Zé Maria, still not content with his future living quarters, compared it with a can of sardines, a container as those he sees passing through the channel or even a cooler, like those used by beachgoers to carry beer.” (Archdaily)

04. Montreal Design Guide

“Today’s city guide is devoted to montreal- one of the cities i’ve most wanted to visit for the past few years. i’ve always heard such wonderful stories about friends and family’s trips to montreal…” (Design Sponge)

05. Chanel’s jumbo florals… (above)

“…so gorgeous…from Chanel’s Spring/Summer 09 show…” (Oh Joy!)

New York’s Rochambeau does not mind turning to the ancient bodies of the crabs and lobsters and prawns in envisioning their Autumn 2009 collection. Their “second season studies the intricate dialogue between defense and self. In observation of this concept the collection draws inspiration from sundry decapod crustaceans… The exoskeleton, which is found in both species, has been referenced in the Fall 09 collection,  Fall and Winter requires shielding and protection from the elements and utilizing materials such as tropical wool, cotton plaid, and hand brushed flannel…”

More looks from the Rochambeau Autumn/Winter 2009 after the jump.

Lars Andersson goods are now available via Blackbird Seattle. The Swedish designer’s first menswear collection is “made up primarily of beautiful knits in his already-signature style.” Amazingly, each garment is handmade by the designer and his team. Something to talk about! This striped long sleeve t-shirt would probably not usually make it solo onto this site but seeing as it’s a handmade beauty, we could not pass it over.

More views of the Lars Andersson Striped Long-Sleeve T-Shirt after the jump.

Pretty sure BMW imagined a similar vehicle some years ago. In any event, General Motors as worked with Segway on the P.U.M.A. This stands for Personal Urban Mobility and Accessibility. We like to spell that B.I.K.E. The P.U.M.A. goes three times as fast as the standard Segway and has space for two. (via DB).

The P.U.M.A. in use, after the jump.

An interesting piece on BLDBLOG about the buried airports of Los Angeles. Seems there were at least a dozen airfields that have vanished (mostly) from plain view in the city. The brief essay is accompanied by a few historic images of the long gone run ways.

Further example after the jump.

I just cannot get enough of the Rapha movement. The cycling gear company from England has not only helped invigorate the world of fashionable high end cycling gear, but they themselves continue to output products which cross a variety of tastes. 

Now available as a book, the labels discreetly stitched inside Rapha products provide a treasure trove of insights into some of the many facets of road riding. Whether celebrating the derring-do of the great legends, or simply reflecting on the humble joy of discovering rare parts in a yard sale…

More views from the new Collection of Rapha Labels book after the jump.

Hodinkee knows our love for the select of wristwatches is big. When they sent over this piece on the 1982 Seiko Fieldmaster “Contra” Edition how could we pass it up? The story behind the nickname alone is worth telling. “What we have found for you today is a watch called the Seiko Fieldmaster. It is commonly referred to as the Contra watch, because this was the watch worn by Contras in the early 1980s. It features a very interesting design of two small, 28mm analog instruments (a quartz watch and standard compass)sitting atop each other. It also came with a digital alarm tool and map guide. By turning the compass case, it can be removed and replaced by either the alarm or map guide, really a very useful design.” Drugs, government, and money. 

More view of the 1982 Seiko Fieldmaster “Contra” Edition after the jump.

Though we may not agree with Men.style that white soled Red Wings have had their moment, we do believe that variety is appropriate. Alden Tanker Boots may not be the first choice of farm hands, but they are proper for the rainy streets of London and beyond. Made from cordvan leather, the Alden’s are classic and ready to wear. Museum Ark has them.

More views of the Alden Tanker Boots after the jump.