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A lot of young women who work for Karan feel the same way, much as the young Donna felt about Anne Klein. Karan attracts talented people who are famously loyal and willing to put up with her constant demands. The designer has been known to give employees a ride home in her limo just to keep a conversation going. "Donna draws you in. She's this irresistible force," says Beth - Wohlgelernter, who worked as her executive assistant for six years. The staff, in fact, amounts to something of a Karan cult. Says Jane Chung, the senior vice president for design at DKNY, who has worked for Karan for 10 years: "There's no question that everyone loves what she does and wants to dress like her and be like her."
Karan, fighting the constant deadlines, sometimes wonders what there is to envy. "I do love the ability I have to create something from nothing. What I hate is the pressure, the toll it takes on my physical being. Do I have to pay this price to do something I love?" The answer is yes, and she knows it.