He dressed Sallu, Kangana and more for the IIFA

Designer Manav Gangwani was certainly the toast of the IIFA red carpet this year, where nearly a dozen celebs opted for his creations on the red carpet.

Here, he tells us about each outfit, working on Salman's wardrobe, Sophie Choudhary's controversial gown and provides tips on formal dressing for 2010!

Sophie Chaudhary

"I dressed Sophie in a sheer black lace gown, with a flouncy net skirt, heavily crystallised all over for the main IIFA event. It was one of my personal favourites, but it generated a lot of controversy. A lot of people felt it was too 'super-sexy' and revealing for the red carpet, but I think she carried if off well."

"Today, with a lot of Indian actresses wearing bikinis on screen, I don't see what the fuss is all about. This is nowhere close to a bikini, where all you have is a top and another bit to cover you up. I feel like there is a double standard at work. I told Sophie that for next year, I might give her a burkha to wear instead!"

"To have Sallu wear one of my shirts was the greatest honour, even though I have dressed 10 to 12 other celebrities for the awards, both this and last year. This was my first time working with him and he was so easy to deal with. A great pleasure."

"Kangana wore this breathtaking structured royal blue satin dress embellished with Swarovski stones for one of the evening dos. This particular occasion was ideal for a cocktail dress, but otherwise, I disapprove of short outfits at grand red carpet occasions. For the main awards function, she wore one of my gowns."

"Jacqueline graced the IIFA red carpet in an ivory translucent georgette sari, delicately embellished with Swarovski, pearl and bead work, an unusual beaded crystals and pearls tasseled pallav and a spectacular blouse. If it's an awards ceremony, our Indian women can look as glam in saris as they do in gowns."

"I create a distinct look for every one of my clients -- after discussing it with them, I have a fair idea of what they want. And of course, you tend to know what will please them after having dealt with them all for so many years. Zeenat made heads turn in this timeless evening gown in heavy black satin, with crystal-encrusted lace sleeves."

"Natasha Khan wore an ivory Turq ombre sari in georgette with a unique halter blouse accented by Swarovski crystals. While you may see a theme running between a few of my outfits, I take great care to ensure each celebrity's ensemble is unique to him/her. I do the IIFAs every year, but then I'm particular about the functions I do, they're very select. I don't try to design for every function possible, you have to take up one thing at a time and do it well."

Among the ladies, besides Sophie's gown, I liked this one worn by Kangana for the main event the best. It was flowing georgette, with an exquisitely embellished bodice and cutwork crystal flowers, in an extremely unusual teal colour.

"Sophie also opted to wear another of my dresses to the fashion evening. It was an empire-cut number in gold lame and lace, with a crystal band at the waist."

"Riya chose to shine in a black net sari with a subtly glimmering border, accompanied by a heavily encrusted blouse in silver Swarovski crystals."

"Kim Sharma wore this silver jersey gown, sensuously draped to hug the curves of the body."

"Raima wore a black crystals one-sleeved gown It was elegant in black chiffon, with a gloriously flowing drape on the upper bodice and artfully embellished with Swarovski crystals."

"And here, I am seen with Neil Nitin Mukesh, wearing a tuxedo that I tailored for him to the awards. Tuxedos are making a big comeback."

Manav's tips to dress like a star on nights out:

• The red carpet trends for 2010 are glamorous, sexy, long silhouettes.
• Black is a very strong colour for this season.
• Another colour that's very hot at the moment is emerald green, various tones of it.
• Don't opt for anything too flouncy, it should be practical. When I say practical, I don't mean jackets or anything like that, I mean glamorous clothing that is not fussy, easy to wear.
• For men, tuxedos are hot this year, as are bandhgalas. Wear a suit with a shirt underneath that sports a wide collars.
• My advice is, don't go with a short dress for a very big event, it's a no-no. The red carpet is tricky and you need to assess the scale of the function before you choose your outfit.