More Rare Than Gold: The Prestige and Process Behind Canadian Eiderdown

Eiderdown: Nature’s Most Exclusive Insulation

Atelier Olmsted is proud to craft outerwear using the rarest, warmest, and most ethical insulation on Earth: Canadian eiderdown. Rarer than gold, platinum, or even diamonds, this extraordinary material is as much a marvel of nature as it is a testament to the human care required to harvest and prepare it.

Each coat we produce carries this legacy—stitched with intention, filled with integrity, and made for winters that demand excellence.

The Rarity of Eiderdown

To understand the value of eiderdown, consider this: a single pound of Canadian eiderdown can cost over $1,500. That price reflects not only its extraordinary insulating properties but also its profound scarcity. Its rarity surpasses that of many luxury materials—even outnumbering annual Rolls-Royce production.

Unlike conventional down, eiderdown is not farmed. It is gathered from the wild—specifically from the nests of common eider ducks along the remote northern coasts of Quebec and the Gulf of St. Lawrence.

A Seasonal Ritual of Trust and Stewardship

Each April and May, up to 20,000 eider pairs return to nest near the US-Canada border, where farmers and conservationists have built a rare, symbiotic relationship with these birds. Female eiders line their nests with soft, insulating down—plucked from their own bodies to keep their eggs warm.

These nests, nestled among grass, seaweed, and shoreline debris, look like cushions from above—each one housing four to five eggs. Once the ducklings hatch, the nests are gently harvested by hand, leaving the birds unharmed.

This is not just sustainability—it is coexistence in action.

The Labour Behind Luxury

Turning wild eiderdown into a usable material is a painstaking process. After harvesting, the down undergoes:

Drying at high heat for up to 14 hours

Baking at 266°F for four full days

Mechanical filtration to remove organic debris

Meticulous hand-cleaning by trained workers

It can take nearly eight hours of manual purification to produce just two pounds of eiderdown. From harvest to final preparation, the process takes over three months—a timeline that reflects the devotion required to preserve both purity and performance.

Eiderdown at Olmsted: Why We Use the Best

We don’t use eiderdown because it’s rare—we use it because it’s right. It offers:

Unmatched warmth-to-weight ratio

Natural temperature regulation

True hypoallergenic properties

Minimal environmental impact

And at Atelier Olmsted, we transform it into outerwear that honors both its origin and its value.

Each coat is more than a garment—it’s a symbol of what’s possible when nature and design work in harmony.

Wearing the Gold of Down

To wear an Olmsted coat is to wrap yourself in something far greater than fashion—it’s a legacy of stewardship, rarity, and excellence. From the icy northern nests to your winter-ready wardrobe, Canadian eiderdown represents the pinnacle of sustainable luxury.

We proudly offer the gold of down—and the future of ethical outerwear.

Own a piece of nature’s rarest warmth.