Desi chic just doesn’t cut it in on Indian red carpets anymore. Ever since Karisma Kapur and Preity Zinta brought home the Chanels and Guccis, they started a trend that refuses to die down. So next time, don’t be surprised if you see an elegant gown worn by Angelina Jolie, sashaying down the red carpet in Mumbai with Suzanne Roshan in it.

Black, the global red-carpet staple, of course dominated the event. But the ladies who wore the somber shade livened up their outfits with some unusual cuts and embellishments. A special mention should go to Barbara Mori, set to debut opposite Hrithik Roshan in Kites, who turned up wearing a daringly plunging neckline that didn’t compromise on elegance. Prachi Desai too kept it glamorous in a short black number embellished with crystals.

But the trend we’re keeping our eyes on is bright colours. Two of the most bankable stars of 2008, Priyanka Chopra and Katrina Kaif, kept it bold and vivacious with red. Other solid colours on display were a one-shouldered turquoise Shantanu and Nikhil worn by crooner Hard Kaur, Mughda Godse’s bright pink number designed by Narendra Kumar and Asin’s unusual peach dress, designed by Babita Malkani. Koena Mitra, in contrast, wore just a solid pink ribbon around the waist of her tartan bodice, teamed with a black ruffled skirt.

It’s heartening to see stars being bolder in their choice of clothes for the red carpet. Apart from Rakhi Sawant, who wore a silver snakeskin dress which focused on her ample cleavage, most of the others stressed on the usually underrated backs and shoulders. So whether it was Katrina’s crisscrossed back or Mehr Jessia showing off her toned shoulders in a toga-style purple gown, the effect was fabulous.

It takes a woman of confidence to carry off prints on a formal gown and nobody does confident style the way the two most high-profile star wives, Twinkle Khanna and Suzanne Roshan, do. While Twinkle kept it subtle with a tie and dye Laundry by Design gown, Suzanne opted for a Pucci gown with bold multicoloured geometric patterns.

The First Ladies of Bollywood, however, decided to keep it traditional. The Bachchan women, Jaya and daughter-in-law Aishwarya, turned up in Abu Jani-Sandeep Khosla creations, in off-white and ice-blue respectively. Giving them company was Kangana Ranaut, in a white sari. But the real diva was Rekha, who wore yet another one of her famous Kanjeevarams.