Donatella Versace breezed into town last week to launch her men's collection at Barneys. The Times, lucky ducks, got some face time with the fabulous Italian at her "grand suite" in the Waldorf-Astoria, which housed her mountain of bright-purple luggage. See, Versace used to travel with bright-pink luggage, but that shade, Donatella says, "became tired … like black did." (We're assuming she only means luggage because we spied her in a little black dress at the party.)

With roughly a dozen purple cases in tow — one bag each for dresses, shoes and accessories — she can think of nothing grander than traveling with it. “All these people, they have a designer handbag, and I think: ‘So what? You have Eastpak luggage.’ Why should it get stolen? If it’s subtle, it’s not going to get stolen.”

So Donatella is judging your luxury handbags! If you want to travel in style, ditch that Eastpak for a set made from Italian leather. And don't forget to have your assistants pack you at least two outfits per day, one for daytime and "something fantastic" for evening. Also, don't use the word "beige." Donatella calls it "blond."

Just a Few Favorite Indulgences [NYT]
Related:Donatella ‘Startles’ Herself in the Mirror