Black cape 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 cape 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 floor-length cape (.2) is made of a black synthetic fabric with a shiny finish. The cape is open in the front, with no armholes, and closes with a silver metal zipper that runs from the upper edge of the bustline to the upper neck just below the chin. A tight-fitting hood, made from the same black material, is attached at the back neck. The collar and shoulders of the cape have attached padded decorations consisting of a wide collar made of two layers of the black material with batting between them that are quilted in undulating concentric lines. The sides of the bib are folded in an accordion fashion to create a wing-like structure on each shoulder. The edges of these wings contain stiff wire that is molded to the shape and sewn inside the outermost edge of the layers of black material. The seams of the quilted lines are obscured by lengths of small silver ball chain. Long lengths of the ball chain extend from the end of the shoulders with both ends attached, creating long loops in a concentric half-oval down the sides of the cape. The hem of the cape is padded and quilted with three (3) parallel lines, with the seams also covered in the silver ball chain.
label: Description
content: The interior of the cape is not lined. There are custom-made oversized shoulder pads to support the quilted collar and wings.
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: 2014.246.2.2
objectType: label: Type
content: capes (outerwear)
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: synthetic fiber, metal, batting, and wire
label: Dimensions
content: H x W x D (On form): 68 × 26 × 25 in. (172.7 × 66 × 63.5 cm)