The craftsmen at Moncler have heard it all before: In polite society, the only adults permitted to wear tumescent royal-blue ski jackets are either teaching grommets to shred the bunny slopes or waving in JetBlue planes on the JFK tarmac. But thanks to its Austin coat — designed in collaboration with Men's Vogue, with only 100 to be made — even the most monochromatic corporate type is likely to be bullish on the parka. Moncler, which will open its first U.S. boutique in Aspen at the end of November, based the Austin design on the jacket it provided to trainers of the 1968 French Olympic ski team in Grenoble (think Jean-Claude Killy) but updated it with a slimmer fit for those who spend their days closer to sea level. The real distinction, though, is the down — culled from the geese raised to produce foie gras. In addition to rich liver, the feeding process yields feathers that are undersized and underweight, which means a jacket that's 20 percent lighter while providing the same level of insulation. So as America's big cities mull over embargoing the contentious Gallic delicacy, animal activists should take note: At least this superlative plumage is not going to waste.
