Collar, breast covers, and codpiece from a costume worn by Nona Hendryx
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: These four (4) black leather covers are 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 four (4) black leather covers (.3a-d) are decorated with convex silver rounded nail head metal studs. They were worn with a white long-sleeved, ankle-length unitard. The unitard is not part of the museum collection, but it is presumed that the snaps on the reverse of the covers attached to snaps that were sewn onto the unitard.
label: Description
content: Collar, .a: The shaped collar has a rounded front center dip, and long sides with rounded ends that fully cover both shoulders. The collar is open at the back. It is made from a single layer of four (4) pieces of black leather seamed at the center front and on each shoulder, and left raw on the outside edges except at the front neck area where it is turned to the back and hemmed. The collar is decorated all over with convex silver rounded nail head metal studs. There are three (3) large metal snaps on the back of the collar, one male snap at the center front and one female snap at each back side. A silver safety pin is stuck through the fabric at the tip of the proper right back side of the collar.
label: Description
content: Breast covers, b, c: Both the breast covers are alike, roughly circular in shape with a slight roundness to them achieved by a seam near the middle. They are made from a single layer of black leather turned around the edges and hemmed on the reverse. The breast covers are decorated all over with convex silver rounded nail head metal studs. There are four (4) large metal female snaps on the reverse of each cover spaced evenly around the outer edge. A silver safety pin is stuck through near the edge on each of the breast covers.
label: Description
content: Codpiece-style cover, d: The codpiece-like cover is shaped like an upside-down teardrop when attached to the unitard. It is made from a single layer of black leather turned around the edges and hemmed on the reverse. The cover is decorated all over with convex silver rounded nail head metal studs. There is one large silver hook sewn on the front of the pointed end. There are two (2) large metal male snaps on the reverse at each corner of the wider rounded end.
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
label: Exhibition
content: Musical Crossroads
label: On View
content: NMAAHC (1400 Constitution Ave NW), National Mall Location, Culture/Fourth Floor, 4 053
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: 2014.246.2.3a-d
objectType: label: Type
content: codpieces
label: Type
content: collars (neckwear)
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: leather and metal
label: Dimensions
content: H x W x D ((a) On form): 7 × 20 1/2 × 8 in. (17.8 × 52.1 × 20.3 cm)
label: Dimensions
content: H x W x D ((b) On form): 7 × 1/2 × 3 1/2 in. (17.8 × 1.3 × 8.9 cm)
label: Dimensions
content: H x W x D ((c) On form): 7 × 7 × 4 in. (17.8 × 17.8 × 10.2 cm)
label: Dimensions
content: H x W x D ((d) On form): 5 3/16 × 3 1/2 × 2 3/8 in. (13.2 × 8.9 × 6 cm)