Feathered headdress from a costume worn by Nona Hendryx of Labelle
date: label: Date
content: 1974
name: label: Designed by
content: Dorian Blakely
label: Worn by
content: Nona Hendryx, American, born 1944
label: Subject of
content: Labelle, American, founded 1962
notes: label: Description
content: This headdress is part of a costume worn by Nona Hendryx of Labelle. The costume consists of a headdress (.1), a cape (.2), silver studded black leather collar, breast covers, and codpiece (.3a-d), wrist cuffs (.4ab), platform boots (.5ab), prop handcuffs (.6), and a prop riding crop (.7).
label: Description
content: The headdress (.1) consists of a fauxhawk with feathers and black leather side straps that fasten under the chin. The fauxhawk section is made of two pieces of hard material, probably wood, that is covered in black satin and decorated with convex silver rounded nail head metal studs on the exterior sides. Short black iridescent feathers, alternating with very long off-white feathers, are glued around the top edges of each hard side. The two sides are connected with a wide strip of black satin that is nailed and stapled along the bottom edge of each side. On the top area, pieces of wire connect to the inner sides of the hard pieces, allowing the sides to hinge outward slightly and to conform to the curve of the wearer's head. The top is filled with short black iridescent feathers. At the bottom outside edge of each hard side of the fauxhawk, two (2) straps of black leather are nailed. Each set of two straps is decorated with convex silver rounded nail head metal studs, and extends down the wearer's head so that one (1) strap goes in front of the ear and one (1) strap goes behind the ear. The two sets of straps fasten under the chin with a large metal snap. There are three (3) small silver grommets on the end of each strap that may have functioned as a lacing system for an additional tie closure.
label: Description
content: This costume is very similar to a costume worn by Hendryx during a performance at the Metropolitan Opera House on October 6, 1974.
place: label: Place used
content: Metropolitan Opera House, New York City, Manhattan County, New York, United States, North and Central America
topic: label: Topic
content: African American
label: Topic
content: Clothing and dress
label: Topic
content: Costume
label: Topic
content: Costume design
label: Topic
content: Design
label: Topic
content: Disco (Music)
label: Topic
content: Funk (Music)
label: Topic
content: Rhythm and blues (Music)
label: Topic
content: Rock and roll (Music)
label: Topic
content: Singers (Musicians)
label: Topic
content: Soul (Music)
setName: label: See more items in
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
label: Classification
content: Clothing - Costume
label: Movement
content: Afrofuturism
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Nona Hendryx of Labelle
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture
identifier: label: Object number
content: 2014.246.2.1
objectType: label: Type
content: headdresses
objectRights: label: Restrictions & Rights
content: No Known Copyright Restrictions
label: Restrictions & Rights
content: Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
physicalDescription: label: Medium
content: feather, satin, wood, metal, leather, and Velcro™
label: Dimensions
content: H x W x D (On form): 33 × 29 × 31 in. (83.8 × 73.7 × 78.7 cm)