MILAN (AP) — Belgian fashion designer Pieter Mulier has been named the new creative director of the Milan fashion house Versace starting July 1, according to an announcement on Thursday from the Prada Group, which owns Versace.
Mulier is currently creative director of the French fashion house Alaïa, and was previously the right-hand man of fellow Belgian designer and Prada co-creative director Raf Simons at Calvin Klein, Jil Sander and Dior.
In his new role, Mulier will report to Versace executive chairman Lorenzo Bertelli, the designated successor to manage the family-run Prada Group. Bertelli is the son of Miuccia Prada and Prada Group chairman Patrizio Bertelli.
“We believe that he can truly unlock Versace’s full potential and that he will be able to engage in a fruitful dialogue,’’ Lorenzo Bertelli said of Mulier in a statement.
Mulier takes over from Dario Vitale, who departed in December after previewing just one collection during his short-lived Versace stint.
Mulier was honored last fall by supermodel and longtime Alaïa muse Naomi Campbell at the Council of Fashion Designers of America for his work paying tribute to brand founder Azzedine Alaïa. Mulier took the creative helm in 2021, after Alaïa’s death.
FILE - A window displays the Atelier Versace logo in Paris, France, Sunday, July 5, 2015. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus, File)
FILE - Raf Simons, left, chief creative officer, and Pieter Mulier, creative director, greet the audience after presenting their Calvin Klein runway show during Fashion Week in New York, Friday, Feb. 10, 2017. (AP Photo/Diane Bondareff, File)
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) — An Arizona Department of Public Safety helicopter responding to assist officers with an active shooter situation crashed, killing both the pilot and a trooper who was a paramedic on board, authorities said.
A Ranger helicopter crew responded to assist the Flagstaff Police Department and other law enforcement agencies on Wednesday night, Sgt. Kameron Lee of the department said in a statement.
“Tragically, during the incident, the helicopter crashed, killing both the pilot and the trooper/paramedic on board,” Lee said.
The names of the trooper and pilot have not been released.
The Bell 407 helicopter crashed near Flagstaff about 10:15 p.m. and there was a fire afterward, the Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement. A search of the registration number showed the helicopter was manufactured in 2004.
KTVK-TV showed a map indicating that the crash happened northeast of the shooting scene.
The FAA said it will assist the National Transportation Safety Board in the crash investigation. An email seeking information was sent to the NTSB early Thursday.
The state Department of Public Safety's Air Rescue Unit is trained for various high-risk situations, including mountain and water rescues.
Members of Arizona's congressional delegation posted comments about the crash online.
“Tragic news. Please pray for their families and everyone involved,” said U.S. Rep. Eli Crane, whose district includes Flagstaff.
“Heartbreaking news out of northern Arizona this morning, and a grim reminder of the dangers law enforcement face,” U.S. Rep. Greg Stanton wrote. “Praying for these officers’ loved ones and the entire Arizona Department of Public Safety.”
The suspect in the shooting suffered non-fatal gunshot wounds and was taken into custody, Lee said. No one else was injured.
In this grab taken from video, emergency cervices work at a scene of Police Helicopter Crash in Flagstaff, Arizona, the night from Feb. 4 to 5, 2026. (ABC15 Arizona via AP)
