Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1538245
MOTIONPICTUREC O S T U M E R S .O R G 27 densely paerned kapa cloth. For me, the challenge was how to make these garments look like they were organically wrapped and tied while being rigged to look the same every day, for every take. We started with the villagers: various wrap top shapes, skirt shapes of different lengths and fullnesses, and malos (loin cloths) for the men. Everything was based on a structural foundation garment. For the women, we made custom merry widow (a lightweight corset) and bandeau bases that anchored to the body but would not change the silhouee of the wearer, keeping the women looking natural. The men wore a structured waistband and a dance belt. I graded all these paerns for a multitude of sizes. We knew there would be many background performers from all sizes, from children to adults. Creating these stock paerns and garments with flexibility for fit gave the design team the ability to dress a lot of background efficiently. We started and ended the project with the feathers. The feathered capes and cloaks, known as 'ahu 'ula, are such an important part of Native Hawaiian history and the show, as both a visual and cultural focal point. These 'ahu 'ula represent a deeply significant aspect of Native Hawaiian crasmanship, symbolizing status, the wearer's mana and ancestral lineage, along with spiritual and physical protection in bale. Our advisor, Kumu Rick, spent a week teaching us all about these cloaks and how they were made, as he is an expert who makes reproduction capes from ancient techniques. The process was awe-inspiring. The capes were constructed from olona (a type of grass neing), onto which tiny bundles of feathers were meticulously tied. As they worked, makers would chant prayers to imbue the capes with mana (spiritual power) and protect the wearer. The capes featured motifs that signified the wearer's family, personal history, or rank. These garments could take decades to complete, but we needed to produce 30 in a fraction of that time. Moreover, many of the Hawaiian birds whose feathers were traditionally used are now extinct or critically endangered. We opted to use pheasant feathers, as they were a similar size to the honeycreeper feathers used traditionally. These were also pre-aached to a tape, which simplified the process. Initially, we experimented with small batches, testing stiffness and texture. The tape used in mass production was synthetic and overly stiff, further rigidified by the glue, and sometimes revealed grey down feathers at the top of the trim. We solved this by stacking two layers of feathers with coon batiste, then overlocking them. This technique created a so, yet secure layer, but was time- consuming. A decision had to be made: We would either use the feathers as is,