The Parade of Asian Couture

Glorious gold: One of Guo Pei's couture designs worn by Rihanna at the Met Gala in May this year.

A selection of sumptuous fashion pieces worn by top celebrities ' from supermodel Tyra Banks to singers Lady Gaga and Jennifer Lopez ' are in town for public viewing.

Fabulous fashion pieces featuring impeccable hand-stitched details by numerous Asian designers are on display in Jakarta as part of the 'Journey of Couture' exhibition. The exhibition, organized by the Asian Couture Federation (ACF), puts together a total of 100 fashion pieces at Ciputra Artpreneur, South Jakarta. The exhibition highlights the creativity of designers and the technical ability necessary to produce a high-class piece of art. The exhibition ends on Nov. 22. 'Putting more than 10 countries together on the same table is quite a task. But in the name of fashion we did that because it's about time we present ourselves more collectively and show to the world the creativity that Asia has,' ACF founding president Frank Cintamani said during the exhibition's opening on Wednesday night. Established in 2013, ACF is a non-profit company featuring 19 acclaimed Asian designers. The ACF aims to inspire, support and promote Asian couturiers who exhibit the highest level of artistry in fashion design to the Asian and global markets. The exhibited pieces were curated by noted couturiers, Livia Stoianova and Yassen Samouilob, from French couture fashion house, On Aura Tout Vu. Three ACF members from Indonesia ' Sebastian Gunawan, Tex Saverio and Rinaldy A. Yunardi ' are also taking part in the event. Sebastian will exhibit 20 of his best couture pieces and Tex will display seven creations, four of which are gold-plated armors featuring 3-D elements taken from his 'Exoskeleton' collection. Rinaldy, the Federation's first jewelry and accessories designer, will offer five of his best crafted works includes a helmet with mirror shields paired with a collar piece woven from recycled and natural materials. 'We're trying to show exceptional pieces from the designers. This exhibition aims to display a craftmanship that is specific to each country, that really shows the culture of each country,' Stoianova says. Several designs showcased in the exhibition have also been worn by international celebrities. A tulle dress designed by Filipino craftsman Ezra Santos and decorated with an intricate array of golden metallic spangles was worn by supermodel Tyra Banks for the cover of Black magazine in 2014. Another Santos creation, a blue tulle dress featuring lace, ceramic details and crystal embroidery, was worn by Lady Gaga during a concert with Tony Bennett. It was also worn by Jennifer Lopez for Latina magazine. From China, the designer Guo Pei ' who has received rave reviews for a dramatic, bright yellow, off-the-shoulder cape gown once worn by Rihanna ' will present traditional Chinese robes for women embroidered with gold and red plumage. The robe was worn by Hong Kong actress Angela Baby for the exhibition. Singaporean Frederick Lee presented his 'Death and Distraction' collection. The collection featured a black netted dress accented with hand beaded pearls, hematite and appliquÃ©s that flare into a voluminous pleated silk organza bouffon, worn under a hand-painted gold feather cape. Lie Sang-bong of South Korea will display an evening dress with a hologram cut out taken from his Spring/Summer 2012 collection. Japanese designer Yumi Katsura will showcase a Japanese dress that features traditional Japanese imagery. Stoianova says all works in the exhibition have their own characteristics and it is these characteristics that make every piece unique. 'There isn't one designer that is better than the other. Couture is art and the beauty of art is not something that is universal. Each designer has their own masterpiece.'