Daniel Guigui and Andrew Payne's Water-Repellent Down

Was it a long process, figuring out how to make this stuff?
Guigui: A [water-resistant] down has long been the holy grail—I think if you talk to most outdoors enthusiasts, down is the preferred insulation, except when it’s wet, and it takes a long time to dry. Everyone’s been playing with processes, treatments, chemicals. We’d been playing with that stuff for five years, and we finally found something that worked.

How do you apply the treatment to the thin strands of a feather without making them stick together?
Guigui: Well, it’s difficult. [If we tell you how] it wouldn’t mean very much to you, but it would mean a lot to a feather-and-down processor. Let’s say this: There have been several different methods of applying treatments. In the wash, in the dryer, airborne. We’ll say this is an airborne process.