Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1536052
dye, along with various shibori techniques. Shibori dyeing refers to a broad category of resist dye techniques where fabric is folded, bound, or stitched, before being dyed. The results are a variety of beautiful and rich patterns, with no two patterns the same. Since then, Wong took a more advanced workshop in 2024 where students designed, dyed, and stitched their own hanten jacket while using traditional Japanese sewing methods, all sewn by hand. "I am super passionate about textiles of all kinds, and in addition to my studies on how kimonos are worn, I have also been educating myself about how they are made. My next goal is to take a course in wasai (kimono sewing) in the hopes that I can learn to make my own kimono some day from scratch with traditional techniques." With her incomparable knowledge of textiles, Wong utilized her skills on one of her favorite jobs, the HBO pirate comedy Our Flag Means Death, where she was the Made to Order (MTO) Key for Costume Designer Christine Wada. Along with her Fabric Buyer, Hannah Greene, they ensured every piece of material arrived on time and that every custom-built costume was screen-ready to be on camera. "Over the course of the season, we made nearly a thousand costumes from scratch, many of which were quite complicated and time-consuming to build since our show was set in the 1700s. Many costumes needed to go through many vendors and hands in its journey to completion, with processes ranging from washing, printing, embroidery, and finally, aging and dyeing." As the MTO Key, it was Wong's responsibility to track the workflow and communicate with vendors. She ensured all necessary materials were delivered to each maker and tracked the status of every piece. Multiple pieces would be moving from such places as the vendors to in and out of the workrooms at any given time. "Tracking the status of every piece and making sure everyone had what they needed was a huge logistical puzzle. I utilized a massive spreadsheet in order to help me keep track of it all. The program I used [Airtable] allowed me to keep track of it all by helping to streamline the workflow. For example, I could input due dates and then set up automations, such as having it email me a list every morning of every piece that was due that day and from where. I also had a running list of multiples [additional costume pieces made to replicate the hero costume] counts and how many had been made at any given time. That made it much easier to track so many moving pieces all at once." The show was challenging, but Wong said that the companionship of the team is what made it rewarding. "We had such an awesome crew and still managed to get through even the most challenging times by keeping up our sense of humor and camaraderie. I am super grateful to Christine and Supervisor Nora Pederson, for letting me jump in even though none of us had worked together before. It was also a bucket list item for me to get to do a pirate show and we had a lot of fun with our anachronistic version of the period." In addition to her own learning, Wong has been sharing her breadth of knowledge by teaching classes, both through BORO BORO and through LAAFA/EIDO. LAAFA/EIDO's classes are an educational program open to all Local 705 Motion Picture Costumers members, whereas her classes through BORO BORO are open to the public. For BORO BORO, her most popular class has been on "Patchwork Mending," where students learn basic hand- stitching techniques for mending their own projects, while utilizing her stash of vintage Japanese fabrics. Currently, Local 705 members can attend three of her LAAFA/EIDO classes: "Kimono: A Cultural History" which is an overview of the history of the Japanese kimono, as well as classes on "Fabric Sourcing" and "The Made to Order Process," both taught with her friend and fellow dual-card member, Hannah Greene. Both these classes focus on the Finished Costumer side of the MTO process. "It has been a blast getting to meet so many members through teaching, it's always fun when I'm out in the world and someone says, 'I enjoyed your class!'" Laura Wong's attributes shine as a Costumer, a teacher, and a business owner. She has balanced her life by having a career and business that provide related but different passions. The skills she has learned as a Costumer have been invaluable in running her own business which focuses on the things she loves— textiles, kimono, educating, and preserving and passing on traditions of those that came before us. Website: www.shopboroboro.com Instagram: @shopboroboro Indigo dyeing in Fujino, Japan.