We Tried the New Outerwear Brand Beloved by Olympic Skiers and A-listers

Siobhan Reid
Updated

Although I am a big proponent of traveling in style, there are a few sartorial sacrifices I’m unwilling to make, from wearing stomach-punishing pants on the plane to donning flimsy, impractical swimwear at the beach.

But where I’m most unwilling to make concessions of any kind is on the ski slopes. Swaddle me in as much waistline-banishing Gore-Tex as as you’d like: I’d much rather look unfashionable than risk frostbite.

So when I heard about Templa, a high-fashion, technical outerwear brand that broke onto the scene in late 2017 and won a prestigious Ispo Brandnew Award (which identifies the world’s most promising sports startups) a month later, it seemed too good to be true.

Then I got the opportunity to test the line’s collection of goose down and primaloft puffer jackets, and I quickly understood why the line is equally beloved by Olympic skiers and A-listers like Jennifer Lawrence and A$AP Rocky.

Launched by snowboarders and skiers Dellano Pereira and Rob Maniscalco as well as Antwerp-based Anati Rakocz, who formerly served as global commercial director of Haider Ackermann and Ann Demeulemeester, Templa fuses an avant-garde aesthetic with technical touches like removable snow skirts and waterproof leather that can handle subzero conditions. Another cool feature: the integration of Recco Avalanche Rescue technology, which is used by more than 600 rescue organizations worldwide to assist in the location of avalanche burials.

To buy: netaporter.com, $1,750

Slipping on one of the puffers, I was amazed by how much warmth and cocoon-like protection it offered without adding any extra weight or bulk. Even more amazing was the fact that despite the many layers of goose feathers, I actually had a waistline!

And while the styles don’t come cheap, I’ve gone through enough cheap winter coats that last a single season to know the value of one that's built to last.

“When down gets wet, it instantly loses its insulative properties,” Rakocz told Travel + Leisure. “So a high-quality down coat with a high waterproof rating and a full seam welded interior is one of those products that is truly worth the investment.”