How Two Of Fashion's Biggest Designers Are Redefining Creativity

In an unexpected move for the fashion industry, it was announced that Raf Simons will join Prada as co-creative director alongside Miuccia Prada, who has helmed the brand since inheriting the company from her grandfather in 1977. Starting on April 1st, both esteemed designers will share the creative responsibilities of the Italian fashion house equally. Announced earlier this week at a press conference in Milan, the partnership is making headlines and marking Simons' first big move since abruptly leaving his position as creative director of Calvin Klein in 2018. Worth an estimated $11.4B, Prada runs the handbag and fashion empire with her co-CEO and husband, Patrizio Bertelli.

As one of the industry's most revered creative talents, Simons is well known for designing menswear at Jil Sander (which is owned by the Prada Group), and earning the label its critical and commercial success over a tenure that lasted 7 years. "I'm extremely happy to start this new phase, it's certainly going to be extremely exciting,” Prada said at the press conference. As for how long the contract will last, the partnership between the two creatives is as personal as it is professional. "The contract is forever, there is no end date to the contract,” Prada added.

What stands out most about the decision, however, is the designers's comments about signaling a return to emphasizing creativity in an industry where the focus has shifted to other facets of the game. Simons elaborated, saying " We have to look at creativity... how can that evolve? At this moment, lots of creatives feel troubled, feel the fashion industry is [becoming] an industry where it might move to excluding creatives... We do believe that collaborating could reposition that aspect of the business.” Signaling a huge cultural shift in the luxury fashion industry, the collaboration marks a brand new era.

                                                           cheap formal dresses 

Drunk Driving Poll Shows Mixed Results

The death toll from alcohol-impaired driving in the United States dropped for the second year in a row, from 10,996 fatalities in 2016 to 10,908 in 2017 and 10,511 in 2018. That translates into hundreds of lives saved in the past two years.

And there is more good news: there has been an increase in the number of drivers who said that they relied on safe rides as an alternative strategy to avoid getting behind the wheel while under the influence of alcohol.

Those are a few highlights from a new survey released on Friday, developed and conducted by the Traffic Injury Research Foundation USA (TIRF USA), in partnership with Traffic Injury Research Foundation in Canada.

"The number of drivers indicating they had been a designated driver, used a designated driver, used a taxi or public transportation or ride sharing rose from 177 million drivers in 2017 to 187 million in 2019," Carl Wicklund, senior adviser for TIRF USA, said in a statement. "Understanding who is at risk for alcohol-impaired driving, and the conditions leading to this behavior, is important to ensure people have access to safe rides."

However, the survey results also showed that the percentage of respondents who reported driving when they thought they were over the legal limit in the last 12 months significantly increased from 11.6% in 2018 to 20% in 2019, the highest prevalence reported during the past five years of data collection, according to the nonprofit road safety groups. In addition, the percentage of respondents who reported driving impaired often or very often was also the highest reported during the past five years, with a significant increase from 3.4% in 2018 to 11.1% in 2019.

"While more data are needed to monitor trends, the significant increase in self-reported alcohol-impaired driving is a concern," Ward Vanlaar, the chief operating officer of TIRF Canada, said in a statement. "It is an early warning that the number of alcohol-impaired driving fatalities in 2019 may increase without continued and increased efforts."