Museum object · Clothing - Costume
Black cape from a costume worn by Nona Hendryx of Labelle
1974
Metropolitan Opera House, New York City, Manhattan County, New York, United States, North and Central America
Source catalog description
This description refers to material held by Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. Visual details below describe the original material.
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). 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.
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Sources & collection details
Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture — original record ↗
Catalog metadata · CC0 · Source checked 2026-10-13
Catalog reference: 2014.246.2.2
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