Pink is fashion's shade

Surrender the pink?

Forget it. It's the shade clothes-conscious New York women will be draping themselves in all year long.

The candy color has already been in the spotlight. Stunning starlets Emily Blunt, Jessica Biel and Elizabeth Banks were pretty in pink on the cover of Vanity Fair's annual Hollywood issue.

And at the Oscars on Sunday, Cameron Diaz presented herself in a sexy Christian Dior gown by Galliano (and pink Bulgari diamonds) to hand out an award. She stumbled while pronouncing the word "cinematography," but sheathing herself in blush was no misstep.

Pink's most powerful booster shot comes from "Sex and the City," the most hotly anticipated movie by New Yorkers to open all year long.

The poster for the film, which arrives May 30, shows Sarah Jessica Parker glowing in a bubblegum-colored dress.

It's a hot pink number that would turn Barbie green with envy, and it has to be in style if SJP's alter ego, Carrie Bradshaw - a part-time columnist and full-time fashionista - is wearing it.

"Pink pops whether it's on a poster or in the office," says stylist Mary Alice Stephenson. "It always looks fresh and young."

For a movie that opens at the end of May, the color of New York's blooming roses makes perfect sense.

But pink isn't a passing parade. Judging by looks that were seen on runways recently at fall fashion shows in Europe, the coral cavalcade is not going to fade.

Autumn fashions - typically teeming with deep, dark and earthy hues - are a veritable garden of rose, poppy and fuchsia. Even salmon (yikes!) was on the color menu.

John Galliano's Paris show put lots of pink ladies in the spotlight. There were studded petal pink frocks, shoes and headbands with shimmery jewels, along with sheaths and purses in magenta.

In Milan, Veronique Leroy marched out pink leather skirts - eat your heart out, Elle Woods - while Donatella Versace sent out flirty powder pink frocks and deep rose ones emboldened with kicky patterns.

"Nowadays, fashion is seasonless," says Stephenson. "If you're nervous about wearing pink, go to Victoria's Secret and get some rosy lingerie."