Yellow bodysuit from a costume worn by Nona Hendryx
- Designed by
- Kolodzie, Ronald, 1940 - 2010
- Worn by
- Hendryx, Nona, American, born 1944
- Date
- 1981-1982
- Medium
- synthetic fiber, leather, metal, and batting
- Dimensions
- H x W x D ((a) on form): 28 1/4 × 34 × 10 1/2 in. (71.8 × 86.4 × 26.7 cm)
- H x W x D ((a) flat): 32 × 25 1/4 × 4 1/4 in. (81.3 × 64.1 × 10.8 cm)
- H x W x D ((b) on form): 3 × 8 × 8 1/2 in. (7.6 × 20.3 × 21.6 cm)
- H x W x D ((b) flat): 2 3/16 × 48 1/2 × 1/4 in. (5.6 × 123.2 × 0.6 cm)
- Description
- This costume was worn by Nona Hendryx in the music video for her solo single of "Love is Like an Itch in My Heart" in the early 1980s. The costume consists of a yellow hooded headpiece (.1), a yellow bodysuit with a wide black belt (.2ab), and gray jodhpurs with a black leather waistband (.3abc).
- Bodysuit (.a): The yellow bodysuit has high-cut leg openings, three-quarter length tapered sleeves, and a stand-up pointed collar. It is made of a yellow synthetic canvas fabric with quilted black leather shoulder pads that are decorated with convex silver rounded metal nail head studs. The front of the bodysuit is open, with the front sides joined together at the bottom of two long thin panels extending from each bottom front edge. These panels are sewn together and two metal snaps with painted yellow heads are attached at the end, which fasten to another long tail that extends from the bottom of the center back of the bodysuit. The leather panels on each shoulder are shaped with a diagonal line on the front and back, oriented from the collar to the bottom of the armhole, and a straight line following the seam line of the sleeve. The bodysuit is fully lined with black synthetic canvas fabric. This same fabric is used as backing for the leather shoulder pads. There is additional batting in the shoulders between the yellow facing and black lining fabrics. There are two (2) black leather belt loops, one at each side approximately two inches above the hem.
- b): The long black leather belt is two (2) inches wide and fastens with six (6) black metal snaps, in two rows of three, at each end. The belt is worn wrapped double around the bodysuit and fastened in the back, creating a obi-like appearance and a cinched waist silhouette.
- Classification
- Clothing-Costume
- Movement
- Afrofuturism
- Topic
- Clothing and dress
- Costume
- Costume design
- Design
- Disco (Music)
- Funk (Music)
- Rock and roll (Music)
- Soul (Music)
- Credit Line
- Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Nona Hendryx of Labelle
- Object number
- 2014.246.4.2ab
- Restrictions & Rights
- No Known Copyright Restrictions
- Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.