Chief of War (2025)

Chief of War (2025) is Apple TV’s based-on-a-true-story of 18th-century Hawaiian warrior chief Ka’iana and the unification of Hawaii, which took place from 1782-1810. Originally, Trystan was going to review this, but she was having a hard time pulling the plug on re-subscribing to Apple TV (your donations fund our streaming services, so we can review this stuff for you, but it still get expensive!). Which, I get. But I was too excited about this show, so I volunteered to cover it. And people. THIS SHOW IS WORTH BEYOND EVERY PENNY. SUBSCRIBE. GO. NOW. The story? Fascinating. The history? Something we hardly ever see on screen. The actors? Hot AF. The costumes? JAW-DROPPING. And: THE ACTORS SPEAK NATIVE HAWAIIAN.

Having visited Hawaii several times, I’ve long been fascinated by its history (and that of Polynesia in general). I’ve specifically stayed several times right on Kealakekua Bay, where English Captain James Cook landed in 1779 on the “Big Island” of Hawaii. So first, let’s address the facts that this is a story from the Hawaiian point of view and that the actual Hawaiian characters get to speak Hawaiian. Quoting the review site Telly Visions,

“The significance of a major series using a critically endangered language so extensively throughout its nine episodes should not be overlooked. As Jason Momoa told The Globe & Mail about the use of indigenous dialogue, “Brother, that was the deal-breaker for us. We wouldn’t have been able to go home if we did this in English.” Momoa and his creative partner and co-writer Thomas Pa’a Sibbett may have considered it a no-brainer to make Chief of War a Hawaiian-language series (the creators credit Awaiaulu, a company that specialises in Hawaiian translation, education, and publishing with the indigenous dialogue and language coaching), but very few studios or networks have been convinced to do so up until now” (Apple TV+’s ‘Chief of War’ Explores Colonialism From the Other Side).

It’s groundbreaking, and I seriously hope more shows do it. (Okay, small quibble, once one Englishman joins the community, many Hawaiian characters instantly learn and speak complex English, even amongst themselves [while the English guy doesn’t seem to learn Hawaiian?]. But I’m sure it was a huge deal to have so much dialogue in a language that not many people speak today, so I’m giving them a solid pass).

I don’t want to give away too much of the plot, but let’s set things up: former Chief of War (hence the title) Kaʻiana and his family have exiled themselves from Maui’s bloodthirsty king. Complex inter-island/kingdom politics, as well as inter-family dynamics, unfold, leading up to the rise of King Kamehameha I who will unify the islands as one kingdom. Previous to the show’s beginning, Captain Cook has visited the island and left. But new “Palefaces” return, complicating things, and we see a glimpse of the new, twisted world they have created and that looms for Hawaii.

The entire show is deeply, meticulously researched (and honestly a seriously entertaining watch), including the costumes by Caroline Eselin (with Steve Constancio listed as lead actor Jason Momoa’s personal costumer). And we’re in luck, because she and other members of the costume team have done a number of really interesting interviews! According to an article in the Costume Designers Guild magazine, Eselin stated,

“‘It was such a great responsibility to do this as authentically, truthfully, and accurately, as possible… So research was first and foremost…’ Her monumental research endeavor began with studying Arts and Crafts of Hawaii, Sir Peter H. Buck’s comprehensive, foundational resource on traditional Hawaiian craftsmanship and cultural practices. ‘That was our bible…’ In the beginning and throughout production, she and ACD Marina Reti immersed themselves in fieldwork at Honolulu’s Bishop Museum, the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, and the Merrie Monarch Festival, celebrating Hawaiian culture. Eselin also valued constant collaborations with cultural experts including aesthetics advisor Kauila Kawelo and the Bishop Museum’s cultural advisor, Marques Hanalei Marzan. Eselin also worked closely with Huihui Kanahele-Mossman and Kaumakaiwa Kanaka’ole, members of the Kanaka’ole family, who are celebrated preservations of Hawaiian culture and arts for generations” (Unprecedented Journey).

The show was filmed in very remote areas of Hawaii as well as New Zealand, which was a bit easier on the crew. Nora Pedersen, Costume Supervisor: US, wrote, “Our focus was twofold: understanding the historical garments, materials, and dyes, along with their profound cultural meaning, while simultaneously developing practical methods to construct these pieces with modern materials for camera, all within a tight timeline.” She goes on to quote Trailer Costumer, Anna Tibboel:

“While plush beach sands, dense rainforest, and underground lava tubes are stunning locations to film, they are difficult terrain to navigate. It was impossible to roll even a rugged costume rack close to any filming location … Costume pieces were all hand-carried by our Set Costumers … We purchased all the plastic bins we could find on the island … Stacked-high guerrilla carts with all-terrain beach wheels became our best friends, as did the transport department that helped us endlessly tote our precious cargo…” (Chief of War: Costuming the History of Kanaka Maoli).

Overall, the costumers focused on really honoring the history of dress, using natural dyes traditionally found on each island, and also on storytelling by giving dominant colors and specific ornamentations to different islands.

In general, all the men wear malo, the traditional loincloth made of barkcloth, a fabric made by beating the inner bark of certain trees. 18th-century Hawaiian men did indeed wear these, as shown in this engraving from Captain Cook’s visit:

This means we get to see A WHOLE LOT OF NICE BUTTS:

Most exciting from a dress historian point of view are the ʻahu ʻula, feather capes or cloaks worn by the high-ranking chief and warrior characters. The originals are amazing works of art! The tiny feathers were collected from birds using a catch-and-release method, whereby only a few feathers were taken from each bird, a salve was applied so the bird could heal, and then it was released. The feathers were tied into small bundles and then attached to a woven netting to create the cloak (History: Hawaiian Feathers). According to the Bishop Museum in Honolulu,

“Feathers for these amazing works were procured by bird catchers, who often lived deep in the wao kele (upland forest) habitat of the birds that they sought. One technique called kahekahe, involved pruning branches of the ‘ōhi‘a tree of most of its flowers and gumming the branch near the remaining flowers with the sticky sap of the ‘ulu (breadfruit). When the bird, attracted by the nectar of the ‘ōhi‘a blossom, alighted on the branch it became stuck and easy to catch. Care was often taken in removing the feathers from the bird, and salve applied to help the bird heal. Rare birds especially were seen as a sacred resource” (ʻAhuʻula of King Kamehameha I).

Prayers were chanted during their making, so they were spiritual garments, and of course the colors and motifs have all kinds of significance (Bringing Hawaiian Mo’olelo to Life). The “Royal Hawaiian Featherwork: Nā Hulu Ali‘i” exhibition at the De Young Museum has some great online content, including a gallery at the bottom where you can see examples including detail shots, here’s just a few:

A number of these survive in museums around the world, including this one (unusual for its long pheasant feathers) given to Captain Cook back in 1778:

The filmmakers worked with the leading modern recreator of traditional Hawaiian featherwork garments, Rick San Nicolas of Hawaiian Feathers, to learn the techniques. He wrote on Facebook: “I was hired … to help ensure the featherwork and traditional pieces looked as true to form as possible. The research the team had done on featherwork was solid and thorough. I was brought in to consult the team on how to capture the look and spirit of these traditional pieces with respect and accuracy.”

We’re in luck, because there are several articles out there written by members of the costume design/making team that really detail the specific techniques used. Heather Vandergriff, head pattern maker and fitter, wrote of the capes,

“These garments could take decades to complete, but we needed to produce 30 in a fraction of that time. 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-attached to a tape, which simplified the process…” (Bringing Hawaiian Mo’olelo to Life).

Although then she goes on to note how the original tapes were too stiff, so they stacked two layers of feathers with cotton batiste; they ended up needing 200-300 yards of feather tape to make one cloak, which they farmed out to various costume shops. She continued,

“Making the capes was somewhat straightforward once we figured out the feathers and the shapes that we wanted. I created patterns for the cape bases, and we cut and stitched them en masse. Principals got special patterns based on size and rank. The more important or high-ranking the character, the larger the cape, and by extension, the more feathers they got” (Bringing Hawaiian Mo’olelo to Life).

Another amazing artwork represented in the show are the mahioles, feather helmets traditionally built on a basket-type frame:

Pedersen writes,

“We knew we didn’t have the time to make these, nor would they last the wear and tear of production. Speciality Costumer Sal Salamone created 3D-printed versions of woven mahioles, which then served as masters for molds, enabling us to produce the headdresses efficiently on a mass scale… [Speciality Costumer Keyperson] Deb [Ambrosino] and Millinery Maker Joseph Collins then joined the team in Hawai’i, meticulously crafting individual mahioles for principal cast and stunt doubles, and expertly managing their ongoing maintenance, which often included restoration after harsh rainstorms or, occasionally, an unexpected plunge into the ocean” (Chief of War: Costuming the History of Kanaka Maoli).

The women get various feather accessories, including the lei:

The women wear dress versions of the pā’ū, a wrapped skirt. Traditionally, that skirt would be the only garment worn, leaving the breasts bare. Here’s an example of a real, surviving pā’ū from the 1820s:

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And a possible sense of how they were worn:

However, the filmmakers had to deal with the fact that if they put topless women on screen today, it would be read visually as erotic or scandalous. The Costume Designers Guild article states, “[Queen] Ka’ahuman’s pā’ū resembles what today’s eyes would see as a strapless, empire-waist dress. Eselin found evidence of the silhouettes through the Kanaka’oles and by diving deep into historical paintings, manuscripts and translations of ancient chants.” And honestly, modern people can be gross, so I understand this decision from a point of view of respect for the actresses and characters. And there does appear to be some upper-body drapery sometimes:

So what we see on screen are simple and then increasingly complex draped garments:

The filmmakers used costume to differentiate status. Vandergriff wrote,

“The biggest note we had was that fabric and feathers equal status. The villagers had more simple silhouettes, closer to the body, while the Ali’i had grand long cloaks and capes and more intricate garments made with many yards of densely patterened 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 … There were no precious metals on the island for sewing or fastening. Maybe some bone needles, but everything had to be applied to the body and tied” (Bringing Hawaiian Mo’olelo to Life).

In order to reproduce kapa, the pounded barkcloth traditionally made in Hawaii, the filmmakers experimented with different fabrics, finally settling on a high-tech microfilmanet called Evolon which had similar textures and weights. These were custom dyed and then stampings symbolic of family gods were recreated using hand stamping or screening. Vandergriff writes,

“Evolon has many advantages: First, it was washable, a key factor for costumes. Being non-woven meant that we could have cut raw edges that would look like the organic edges of the real kapa cloth … It also came in different weights which allowed us to mimic the various drapes and qualities of ancient kapa …. The Evolon needed to be dyed to match the colors traditionally achieved by Native Hawaiians. Our Dyer, Tyra Youland, conducted numerous experiments to find the right color combinations and techniques … Upon examining the historical examples of stiffer kapa we encountered in the museum collections of New Zealand, we decided to treat the fabric with shellac. This not only increased the stiffness but allowed for more sculptural shapes… This proved crucial in distinguishing the simple garments of common villagers from the more opulent attire worn by the Ali’i, the hereditary nobles” (Bringing Hawaiian Mo’olelo to Life).

One of my favorite characters from a design perspective is Taula (Roimata Fox), a prophetess. She gets this amazing knotted cord overgown, feather capelet, and just looks excellently eerie:

So, if you haven’t seen Chief of War and you have ANY interest in non-Western dress, get cracking! It’s beyond worth it.

 

What are your thoughts on the costumes in Chief of War?

 

 

 

 

 

 

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