Feathered headdress from a costume worn by Nona Hendryx of Labelle
- Designed by
- Blakely, Dorian
- Worn by
- Hendryx, Nona, American, born 1944
- Subject of
- Labelle, American, founded 1962
- Date
- 1974
- Medium
- feather, satin, wood, metal, leather, and Velcro™
- Dimensions
- H x W x D (On form): 33 × 29 × 31 in. (83.8 × 73.7 × 78.7 cm)
- Description
- 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).
- 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.
- This costume is very similar to a costume worn by Hendryx during a performance at the Metropolitan Opera House on October 6, 1974.
- Place used
- Metropolitan Opera House, New York City, Manhattan County, New York, United States, North and Central America
- Classification
- Clothing-Costume
- Movement
- Afrofuturism
- Type
- headdresses
- Topic
- Clothing and dress
- Costume
- Costume design
- Design
- Disco (Music)
- Funk (Music)
- Rhythm and blues (Music)
- Rock and roll (Music)
- Singers (Musicians)
- Soul (Music)
- Credit Line
- Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Nona Hendryx of Labelle
- Object number
- 2014.246.2.1
- Restrictions & Rights
- No Known Copyright Restrictions
- Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.