Donna's Got A Brand-New Bag.(Donna Karan)

Byline: FLORENCE KANE editor: Sally Singer

Karan carries out an addition to her lifestyle superlabel.

Donna Karan has toted the same Hermes backpack for "I'm embarrassed to say how many years," admits the designer. And she does love a belt bag. "It's the freedom of my hands," she says. But lately you might see Karan with a rich red croc satchel on her shoulder, or on the go with a slouchy (in a chic way) messenger bag--both part of her new collection of 27 styles, from frame bags to shoppers to evening clutches, she's introducing for early fall.

It's not that Karan never designed handbags in the 22 years since she started her iconic American label; she might have done a capsule collection here or shown a bag or two there on her runway (though not since fall 2005). "I always felt the bags were there, even though they weren't," says Karan. "It was already in the mind-set of the company."

A glance at the bags and one can understand what she means. They've got the urban sensuality Karan has become synonymous with as well as a timeless look. "I don't think they could be anyone else's," she says. "It is a bag that ...