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Costume dress for Lady in Orange from for colored girls... on Broadway

African American Museum

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    Object Details

    Designed by

    Judy Dearing, American, 1940 - 1995

    Worn by

    Ntozake Shange, American, 1948 - 2018

    Subject of

    Black Fashion Museum, American, 1979 - 2007

    Description

    Sleeveless dress costume for the character Lady in Orange from the original Broadway production of Ntozake Shange's choreopoem "for colored girls who have considered suicide / when the rainbow is enuf." The dress is made from orange satin synthetic fabric with the crepe finished wrong side facing. The bodice has a sweetheart neckline, scooped back, and front shaping with princess darts, ending at the natural waistline. The neckline and armholes are edged with the orange fabric, with the shiny satin side facing. There is a length of self-fabric piping around the waist, again with the shiny satin side facing. The full circle skirt falls at the knee and is hemmed with serged stitching in orange thread. The dress closes at the center back with a metal zipper, with two (2) metal hook-and-eye fasteners, one at the top of the back and the second at the waist. There is a length of cream grosgrain ribbon sewn to the interior proper left waist with a large metal eye on the end, which closes with a large metal hook sewn to the interior proper right waist just inside the zipper. The bodice is lined with orange synthetic satin, while the skirt is not lined. There are six (6) male metal snaps, three at each armhole interior; there is no evidence of the corresponding female sides of these snaps.

    Credit Line

    Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of the Black Fashion Museum founded by Lois K. Alexander-Lane

    Date

    1976-1978

    Object number

    2007.3.37

    Restrictions & Rights

    No Known Copyright Restrictions
    Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.

    Type

    dresses

    Medium

    synthetic satin and crepe with metal closures

    Dimensions

    H x W x D (on form): 43 1/2 × 15 × 15 in. (110.5 × 38.1 × 38.1 cm)

    Place used

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

    See more items in

    National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection

    Collection title

    Black Fashion Museum Collection

    Classification

    Clothing - Costume

    Exhibition

    Taking the Stage

    On View

    NMAAHC (1400 Constitution Ave NW), National Mall Location, Culture/Fourth Floor, 4 054

    Data Source

    National Museum of African American History and Culture

    Topic

    African American
    Broadway Theatre
    Clothing and dress
    Costume
    Costume design
    Design
    Poetry
    Women

    Metadata Usage

    CC0

    Link to Original Record

    http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/fd5c1e9342f-925f-4650-bb89-79af25697fbd

    Record ID

    nmaahc_2007.3.37

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