STYLE : FASHION : Red Ahead

European designers have injected a welcome shot of color--lipstick red--into their fall ’92 collections of navy, charcoal and black. Expect to see red sweaters, red jackets, red day and evening dresses, even the occasional red stole, in stores by autumn. For night, Chanel designer Karl Lagerfeld features nothing but red. He’s cut yards of fiery chiffon into narrow tops and multitiered skirts for a neo-disco look. Gold coin-dot sequins and stretchy gold belts re-create the ‘70s silhouette.

Head-to-toe red doesn’t flatter every woman, of course, so designers offer ways to indulge without going to extremes: dark-toned coats, jackets and gowns with red linings.