INDIGO BIRDCAGE GOWN – VICTORIANALAND COLLECTION

The Indigo Birdcage Gown is Designed & Handmade in Australia by Costume Designer & Textile Artist Rai Keodara – ENJOY FREE SHIPPING ON ALL ORDERS!

ON BREAK!

Ventriloquist Court is currently on break. There are no outstanding orders. Watch this space for updates on when new orders will be accepted again. In the meantime, any queries may only be answered intermittently – apologies for any inconveniences caused!

Indigo Birdcage Gown
Product Code: VIBCG1701
Garment Price: $6, 975.00 AUD
1st Instalment: $975.00 AUD

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INDIGO BIRDCAGE GOWN – THE STORY

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DESCRIPTION

The indigo birdcage gown evokes the sights and sounds of the beach: rustic shacks along the seashore, melodious bird songs, and ocean waves echoe in seashells.

This 3-piece gown has a collar, blouse, and petticoat skirt. The Victorian-inspired collar features a striking birdcage, an indigo fabric bird, and intricate details of hand-sewn ‘rolls,’ floral petals, and beading. The birdcage is made of five vertical and one horizontal fabric strips interfaced with heavyweight polyester for structure. The fabric strips are made from medium-weight organic khadi cotton with blue and grey stripes. This fabric is yarn-dyed and handwoven by artisans in India, as part of a growing cooperative initiative to revive traditional hand weaving and to stimulate local rural industries. The strips are decorated with and hand sewn into place with 1940s vintage stock white glass buttons with a lovely raised floral petal design, complementing the pale cream and blue colours of the collar.

On one corner of the birdcage is an origami-like fabric bird securely hand sewn onto the cage. The design of the bird is modelled on a traditional origami crane model. No one quite knows who invented this model, though it likely had its origins in Japanese traditional ceremonial practices. The simplicity and beauty of this design has made it an origami favourite. The bird is made from a heavyweight and textured fabric, giving it something of a rustic look. This fabric is plant-dyed with natural indigo in large vats using tie-dye techniques and handwoven by artisans in Shenzhen, China. The bird is interfaced to give it enough stiffness for origami folding. The ‘eye’ of the bird is a pearlescent bead made from acrylic plastic. All of the ‘pearl’ beads used for the indigo birdcage gown are tiny vintage new stock/old stock ivory colour beads made in Japan in the 1970s.

The front of the collar is covered in hand-sewn ‘rolls’ made from two types of linen interfaced with heavyweight polyester to give it shape. The main fabric used for the rolls is a medium-weight pale cream linen made in Lithuania. The base fabric of the collar is also made from this same fabric. Interspersed amongst the pale cream linen rolls is a light blue linen tulle underlined with pale cream linen for support. All linen fabrics used for the gown is oeko-tex certified and contains 100% linen fibre.

The fabric rolls are decorated with pearlescent beads and peace silk petals. This silk is a rare fabric produced in only small quantities, a sheer tulle in a dark ivory/beige colour hand spun from silk yarn harvested from empty cocoons on family farm trees and handwoven on vintage looms in Uzbekistan in Central Asia. Each petal is finished with zigzag stitching to prevent fraying. The small petals on the upper part of the collar are made from herbal-dyed fabric wrapped inside peace silk tulle. Two herbal-dyed fabrics are used: indigo sky colour organic 100% cotton hand-dyed with natural indigo, aloe vera, fenugreek, jasmine, & iodine leaf; and the other is a dusty rose colour organic 100% cotton hand-dyed with red rose, red sandal, rugmini flower, henna, and asoka – both are artisanal fabrics handwoven in India.

The upper part of the front and back collar also features pleats interfaced and shaped into seashells, which are attached using pearlescent beads as well as larger blue and white glass beads. These glass beads are hand-drilled on the island of Java in Indonesia from recycled television screens, windows, and glass bottles. The collar is a regular fit, closing at the back with white vintage glass beads. The entire back of the collar is intricately beaded.

A simpler design, the blouse is sleeveless with zigzag stitching for the finish. It closes at the back with Japanese-made plastic buttons in a natural colour. The blouse is made from peace silk tulle, and has front and back darts for a tailored fit. The shoulder area of the blouse is decorated with a handful of small petals made from pastel blue linen gauze. This stonewashed fabric has a crumbled texture and is made in Lithuania. Each petal is finished with zigzag stitching, and is hand sewn onto the blouse with a pearlescent bead.

The petticoat skirt has intricate beading details and hand-sewn peace silk tulle petals. The pearlescent beads are a mix of two sizes: slightly larger beads on the left and right pleats; and smaller beads in the middle. The pale cream linen overskirt is darted to create pleats, and sits at mid-thigh length. Attached to the linen underskirt is a flowy peace silk petticoat. The petticoat has two layers: a short layer of tightly-gathered ruffles, and the second, which falls to floor length, is moderately gathered and decorated with petals. The back of the linen overskirt has large petals forming a ‘bustle.’ The back of the skirt, however, is left largely plain with no beading details to interfere with practicalities.

The indigo birdcage gown is inspired by Victorian-era costuming, yet it is strikingly contemporary in design – a fusion of Victorian and avant-garde. The skirt incorporates bustles, but the overall shape and the back bustle is simplified; the birdcage envelopes only the front collar, allowing for free arm movement. The mix of costume detailing and minimalism is what defines this gown – a textile art piece reflecting the influences of the past and present.

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ORDERING INFORMATION

TURNAROUND: 4-5 months (due to the extensive hand beading and textile art detailing, rush orders are unavailable for this gown).
CUSTOM-MADE: Please send me your measurements via the contact form below (before placing your order, in order to avoid disappointment). In rare cases, I may be unable to work with your measurements.
Measurements required:
* Back shoulder width (cm or inches)
* Neck Circumference (cm)
* Bust (cm or inches)
* Underbust (cm or inches)
* Natural Waist (cm or inches)
* Hips (cm or inches)
* Waist to Floor (cm or inches)
* Your Height (cm) 
MEASUREMENT HELP: Measurement Tips for Indigo Birdcage Gown (PDF Doc)
POLICIES: Exchanges & Refunds 

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CONTACT FORM – Customer’s Measurements

Please use the form below to send me your measurements (preferably prior to placing your order). Include your back shoulder width, neck circumference, bust, underbust, waist, hips, waist to floor, and your height.

Expect to receive a reply within 1 business day from Rai Keodara, whose email is ladyofteacouture@outlook.com with the following subject: [Ventriloquist Court®] Indigo Bird Cage Gown

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PAYMENT & SHIPPING

Payment is by six instalments. A deposit of 15% must be made to place the order. Simply click on the ‘buy now’ button to add the first instalment to cart. Rest assured that all orders are processed by Paypal; thus customers’ financial details are never shared with sellers. Customers also have the option of guest check out using a credit card (processed by Paypal).

Please note that no work will commence until the deposit has been made. Customers will be kept up to date with work-in-progress photos on a regular basis (likely on a weekly basis). All remaining instalments are payable via Paypal invoice sent to your email address. The invoice will direct you to Paypal’s secure server, allowing you to pay using your Paypal funds or credit card (guest checkout is available). Once the final instalment is paid, your gown will be wrapped up and and shipped out to you!

Your package will be shipped via express post (usually 4 business days to major cities in the US and Europe) with online tracking and signature confirmation. Enjoy free shipping on all orders!

Instalment Payment Plan:

* Ist Instalment (to place order): $975 AUD
* 2nd Instalment (work-in-progress photos): = $1500 AUD
* 3rd Instalment (work-in-progress photos): $1500 AUD
* 4th Instalment (work-in-progress photos): $1500 AUD
* 5th/Final Instalment (work-in-progress photos): $1500 AUD

Total: $6,975 AUD

$6975 AUD ≈ Approx. $5050 USD | ≈ £3700 | ≈ €4500 | ≈ ¥500000 | $6400 CAD |
Exact currency conversion is done by Paypal at checkout

Shop with Peace of Mind – All Payment is Processed by Paypal.

Indigo Birdcage Gown © VENTRILOQUIST COURT®