Wrist cuffs from a costume worn by Nona Hendryx of Labelle

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.

These wrist cuffs 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). The wrist cuffs (.4ab) are alike, shaped to be wider at the forearm and tapering to the wrist. They are made from a single layer of three (3) pieces of black leather, including a gusset sewn at the center, with the edges turned to the reverse and hemmed. The forearm edge has an additional piece of leather wrapped around padding to form a three-dimensional detail. The cuffs are decorated all over with convex silver rounded metal nail head studs. They close with a silver metal zipper that starts at the wrist, with the toggle at the forearm when the cuffs are closed. This costume is very similar to a costume worn by Hendryx during a performance at the Metropolitan Opera House on October 6, 1974.

Catalog date

1974

Recorded places

Metropolitan Opera House, New York City, Manhattan County, New York, United States, North and Central America

Recorded subjects

African American; Clothing and dress; Costume; Costume design; Design; Disco (Music); Funk (Music); Rhythm and blues (Music)

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