Go figure his fashion sense was ahead of the time. He is wearing Acronym in the article's photo, which if you ask me, is the most compelling fashion brand on the entire planet.
As for the cut and features, yeah they have a few cute tricks and features, but nothing to justify the hype and pricing.
The 2000$ jacket is not wierd. The 50$ is.
I am not saying Acronym is super ecological or ethical (i dont know them). But with that pricetag there is atleast a chance. There is so much suffering behind new cheap clothes it is scary.
It will be heavier than a modern Gore-Tex design, and perhaps not quite as breathable. On the other hand it won't delaminate after a couple of years and become useless for bad weather, which happens to all Gore-Tex jackets I've owned, even nice rainjackets from Helly-Hansen and similar brands. You can repair and re-impregnate oilskin/oilcloth/waxed cotton with new wax yourself, and keep it for decades.
If I was going on a serious trekking/hiking/mountaineering trip, yes I would buy the modern lightweight technical clothing. But for use in ordinary rain and snow and everyday life, I'll stick with the oilskin coat and hat.
It is weird. There has never been a time in the history of man where paying the equivalent of 2000 in 2019 dollars for a single jacket is normal, outside of the most elite members of society. Yes, "fast fashion" is at the other extreme, but there is a huge gulf between the cheap, low quality $50 jackets and the absurdly priced $2000 jackets.
Before that time every garment required fitting and people had very few of them because they were very expensive. They were used often times for decades thanks to care and repairs.
I'm certainly not buying myself, but I also don't think they're just selling regular clothes at a spectacular markup. Whether their garments are any good, I have no idea.
I personaly think high tech fashion looks already a bit outdated but i would surely love to have some Acronym stuff. Unfortunately its way off my price range.