Stephen Burrows is a human being with a bright light.  He is a treasure of historic proportion in the fashion industry, and nobody knows his passion for fashion more than Fashion and Passion co-host, the legendary supermodel Pat Cleveland. On this episode of True Crime, Fashion, and Passion, we invited Stephen to come share some of his favorite stories with us and oh he did. 

Phillip has hung out with Stephen many times and has been a big supporter of his collections and always look forward to his fashion shows.  For this episode, Stephen was in rare form and had us laughing through the whole interview...well, when we weren't gasping at some fun little tidbits we learned about Jimi Hendrix, singer Bette Davis, and so many of our other favorite icons of style. 

Throughout our conversation, Phillip constantly clutched his pearls and had to shut his mouth as the first African American man to be internationally heralded as a fashion designer. Stephen Burrows has always been a groundbreaker.  In the 70s at the height of his career and in the heat of the disco era, he had his own eponymous perfume with the tag line B is for Burrows and Breaking Free & that he did. The world of fashion celebrated his bold, graphic color blocking, innovative use of matte jersey fabric, and his funky and fresh detail of the lettuce-edged hem.  In the height of the Disco-era, these were the perfect style staples. 

However, trust and believe that as a designer, it's not just your talent and good taste that garner your success.   In Stephen's case, his boyish good looks, charm, and personality as vibrant as the colors he used contributed to him becoming a fashion phenomenon and the toast of New York.

The early '70s was a nonstop whirlwind of fabulosity for Stephen.  He won three Cody awards and in 1978 earned icon status for dressing the iconic Farrah Fawcett in a groundbreaking gold chainmail dress for the 50th Academy Awards.  That is just a few of the highlights of a life well lived in the world of fashion.  We hope you will join us for a little laughter, a lot of love, and some lessons in the language of style and fashion.

True Crime, Fashion, and Passion is recorded and edited at DNR Studios in New York, NY.  The podcast is hosted by Phillip Bloch, cohosted by Carol Alt and Pat Cleveland.  Our Senior Producer is Annie Quaile.  Illustrations created by Antonio Contreras.  Follow him at @antonioeldeseo on Instagram. 

Special thanks to Paul van Ravenstein, Romaine Patterson, Andrew Bagley, and the entire DNR Studios crew. Additional thanks to Vinnie Postestivo.  Visit us on the web at truecrimefashionandpassion.com, on Twitter @crimefashionpod and Instagram and Facebook at @TrueCrimeFashionandPassion.

Thank you for joining us for part 2 of the compelling and riveting true crime story of the questionable death of Ron Marquette. In this second installment, we will chat again with Ron's son, Aaron, and one of the girls he grew up with - a model, musician, one of his first loves, and spiritual guides. They share their beautiful memories of their beloved father and wild child friend who seem to have it all and continue to look for answers to the questions of how it all could have ended so quickly in a senseless game of Russian Roulette. None of it makes any sense even several decades later and that's why we are here on this episode of True Crime, Fashion, and Passion to dig deeper into the truth of the mysterious murder of Ron Marquette.

A Hollywood heartthrob in the 90s, Ron was at the top of Aaron Spelling's short casting list for leading men.  His tall, dark, exotic good looks and his charismatic wickedly hot bad boy charm had already made him a sex symbol in the modeling world, and he had slept with the better half of Hollywood's sexiest leading ladies.  At 30 years old and with his classic movie star good looks, he was conquering the small screen in tv land before he got involved with the wrong leading lady in one of his last movies.

In Hollywood in the '90s, unwanted partners and spouses frequently met sketchy early ends either by gruesome gun killings like Robert Blake's wife, stabbings like OJ Simpson's wife Nicole Brown Simpson, or tragic pool drownings like William Shatner's wife Nerine Kidd, whom we profiled earlier this season or Tito Jackson's wife, Delores Martes.  It seemed that if you were a famous man in Hollywood, it was allegedly cheaper and easier to kill'em than keep'em.

In this tragic love story, the beautiful and talented actress Dedee Pfeiffer has a Deadly Past and that's not only the title of the last movie she and Ron Marquette made together but it is a fact.  Dedee Pfeiffer is allegedly the last person to see Ron Marquette alive and the only person playing games with his heart and a gun on that fateful horrific night in May 19 when Ron was killed.  Was it a deadly game of Russian Roulette or did something else really happen? We may never know what really happened but in this first episode of Ron Marquette's double episode of True Crime, Fashion, and Passion podcast Phillip sit down with close friends and family of Ron's who tell a different side of the story.  Join Phillip as he talks with Ron's son, Aaron Marquette, one of Ron's long-time girlfriends who had originally discovered him as a model/ actor, and one of his best friends that he grew up with skateboarding and surfing.  Learn about an alleged letter that existed where Dedee proclaimed and threatened "if I can't have you no one else will", how Ron's death has changed all their lives tragically forever, and their struggle to find the truth and show the world the true crime story behind what they believe is the murder of Ron Marquette.

True Crime, Fashion, and Passion is recorded and edited at DNR Studios in New York, NY.  The podcast is hosted by Phillip Bloch, cohosted by Carol Alt and Pat Cleveland.  Our Senior Producer is Annie Quaile.  Illustrations created by Antonio Contreras.  Follow him at @antonioeldeseo on Instagram. 

Special thanks to Paul van Ravenstein, Romaine Patterson, Andrew Bagley, and the entire DNR Studios crew. Additional thanks to Vinnie Postestivo.  Visit us on the web at truecrimefashionandpassion.com, on Twitter @crimefashionpod and Instagram and Facebook at @TrueCrimeFashionandPassion.

Ron Marquette, a Hollywood heartthrob in the 90s, was at the top of Aaron Spelling's short casting list for leading men.  His tall, dark, exotic good looks and his charismatic wickedly hot bad boy charm had already made him a sex symbol in the modeling world, and he had slept with the better half of Hollywood's sexiest leading ladies.  At 30 years old and with his classic movie star good looks, he was conquering the small screen in tv land before he got involved with the wrong leading lady in one of his last movies.

In Hollywood in the '90s, unwanted partners and spouses frequently met sketchy early ends either by gruesome gun killings like Robert Blake's wife, stabbings like OJ Simpson's wife Nicole Brown Simpson, or tragic pool drownings like William Shatner's wife Nerine Kidd, whom we profiled earlier this season or Tito Jackson's wife, Delores Martes.  It seemed that if you were a famous man in Hollywood, it was allegedly cheaper and easier to kill'em than keep'em.

In this tragic love story, the beautiful and talented actress Dedee Pfeiffer has a Deadly Past and that's not only the title of the last movie she and Ron Marquette made together but it is a fact.  Dedee Pfeiffer is allegedly the last person to see Ron Marquette alive and the only person playing games with his heart and a gun on that fateful horrific night on September 27, 1994 when Ron was killed.  Was it a deadly game of Russian Roulette or did something else really happen? We may never know what really happened but in this first episode of Ron Marquette's double episode of True Crime, Fashion, and Passion podcast Phillip sit down with close friends and family of Ron's who tell a different side of the story.  Join Phillip as he talks with Ron's son, Aaron Marquette, one of Ron's long-time girlfriends who had originally discovered him as a model/ actor, and one of his best friends that he grew up with skateboarding and surfing.  Learn about an alleged letter that existed where Dedee proclaimed and threatened "if I can't have you no one else will", how Ron's death has changed all their lives tragically forever, and their struggle to find the truth and show the world the true crime story behind what they believe is the murder of Ron Marquette.

True Crime, Fashion, and Passion is recorded and edited at DNR Studios in New York, NY.  The podcast is hosted by Phillip Bloch, cohosted by Carol Alt and Pat Cleveland.  Our Senior Producer is Annie Quaile.  Illustrations created by Antonio Contreras.  Follow him at @antonioeldeseo on Instagram. 

Special thanks to Paul van Ravenstein, Romaine Patterson, Andrew Bagley, and the entire DNR Studios crew. Additional thanks to Vinnie Postestivo.  Visit us on the web at truecrimefashionandpassion.com, on Twitter @crimefashionpod and Instagram and Facebook at @TrueCrimeFashionandPassion.

Raul Penaranda has been making his dreams of designing luxury women's wear with a mix of seductiveness and sophistication a reality. His collections celebrate the intrinsic beauty of the human spirit combined with his years of working in the industry.  Raul has perfected expert craftsmanship and beautiful use of exquisite and unique fabrics to create a special avant-garde, yet wearable ready to wear collection. Raul has always boldly and beautifully been true to himself and is proud to incorporate his Latin heritage and roots into his design work and brand of style.

Raul's talent has not gone unnoticed.  Only two years after debuting at New York Fashion Week, he was declared by FORBES magazine as one of the fastest growing fashion entrepreneurs to come out of the small business industry with his collection being manufactured here in the USA.  Vogue-Mx named Raul 'The New King of New York Fashion Week', a moniker he carries proudly while continuing to perfect his exemplary craftsmanship, and big attention to small detail.

Raul was born in Cali, Colombia. He grew up in Caracas, Venezuela and moved to Miami, Florida with his family as a young adult. In 2000, Raul relocated to New York City where he was offered a freelance design position at Liz Claiborne, while enrolled at F.I.T and Parson's. Over the next ten years Raul chose to learn from the best, working for such fashion industry legends as Oscar de la Renta, Donna Karan, Zac Posen, and Tommy Hilfiger. He has held key positions as Creative Director of Merchandise and Trend Services, Head Designer and Textile/CAD Designer. Each of these different houses expanded his ability to understand the business side and the creative side of the fashion industry.

As Pat and Phillip sat down for this intimate conversation with Raul, they realized that this fabulous creative fashion figure was equally as kind and spiritual and thoughtful of the environment and the world he lives in.  He is of the world of fashion and that was where we found Raul, clearly able to stand stronger and more powerful than so many others in the fashion industry. He finds his inspiration and passion from his family, from his environment, and from the people that surround him.  It is not just his creativity but is his heart, spirit, and passion that drives the beauty of his fashion business. We hope you will enjoy this fun and extraordinary fashion journey that Raul has been on as much as we did on this segment of Fashion and Passion from True Crime, Fashion, and Passion.

True Crime, Fashion, and Passion is recorded and edited at DNR Studios in New York, NY.  The podcast is hosted by Phillip Bloch, cohosted by Carol Alt and Pat Cleveland.  Our Senior Producer is Annie Quaile.  Illustrations created by Antonio Contreras.  Follow him at @antonioeldeseo on Instagram. 

Special thanks to Paul van Ravenstein, Romaine Patterson, Andrew Bagley, and the entire DNR Studios crew. Additional thanks to Vinnie Postestivo.  Visit us on the web at truecrimefashionandpassion.com, on Twitter @crimefashionpod and Instagram and Facebook at @TrueCrimeFashionandPassion.

Marielle Bobo is the epitome of a fashion success story. As a little girl she dreamed of being part of the glamorous world of fashion.  She would go to her grandmother's house and spend hours with her as they shared the beauty and the inspiration of fashion and admired.  They would admire the covers of Ebony magazine that her grandmother treasured so much she laminated them.

Who would have thought decades later, in the middle of a successful career in Hollywood and New York styling celebrities and models for countless magazines and photo shoots and red-carpet walks, she would have the life changing opportunity to bring her influence ideas to the pages of a legacy in Black culture, the world of Ebony.

As a fan & friend of Marielle’s and Ebony magazine, I'm excited to see the brilliant changes she has made, bringing the Johnson family legacy into the twenty-first century with phenomenal moving video covers.  Marielle’s vision for the magazine takes the fashion industry where it deserves to go in 2023. Her ideas for inclusivity for all in the ebony culture is welcoming to men women and all alternative lifestyles. Marielle has a vision for creating platforms that are informing and inspiring and helpful for the black community not just the same old thing.  Her vision for forward-thinking inclusivity and diversity is a major step ahead from the days of Ebony's Fashion Fair where my favorite co-host Pat Cleveland strutted her stuff and brought fashion and culture to the community as far back as the 60s. This modern-day makeover and recalibration of an iconic publication is so timely now that we actually live in a time where the Black community can stand up and be black and proud and know that black lives matter in the world and to Marielle Bobo, who is making her fashion dream a reality by enriching her community and black culture. 

True Crime, Fashion, and Passion is recorded and edited at DNR Studios in New York, NY.  The podcast is hosted by Phillip Bloch, cohosted by Carol Alt and Pat Cleveland.  Our Senior Producer is Annie Quaile.  Illustrations created by Antonio Contreras.  Follow him at @antonioeldeseo on Instagram. 

Special thanks to Paul van Ravenstein, Romaine Patterson, Andrew Bagley, and the entire DNR Studios crew. Additional thanks to Vinnie Postestivo.  Visit us on the web at truecrimefashionandpassion.com, on Twitter @crimefashionpod and Instagram and Facebook at @TrueCrimeFashionandPassion.

Iana Kasian was only 30 years old when she was found dead in a disgusting and horrific torturous crime scene in her West Hollywood apartment on May 26th 2016.  At the time Phillip was working with Sandra Bullock, whose offices were down the street from the crime scene.  As Phillip was leaving Sandy's office one day with his truckload of gowns and jewels the traffic was massive.  When he finally pulled up to near where the police were, they were mortified.  The officers were so disgusted they could not keep their disdain for the murderer and shock under wraps. They told Phillip she had been tortured and killed by her boyfriend, Blake Leidel. Blake was a novelist who had previously written a book called "Syndrome" that is scarily like this freakish nightmare inducing murder. 

Growing up in a broken home in Canada as the son of an affluent tycoon and privileged former Olympic athlete, Blake went through life and women with a detached sense of responsibility and accountability. This wreaked havoc and destroyed multiple families & lives as you will hear in Iana's story. 

After suffering from blunt force trauma, Iana did not die immediately.  Sadly, she lived through eight hours more of hellish torture at the hands of her sadistic partner.  Of the goriest crime scenes police officers have discovered in Hollywood, this was one of epic proportion.  Iana's scalp had been ripped away, her eyebrows cut off and flicked across the room as if they were garbage.  The police even found portions of her face torn off, teeth marks on her jaw, and drained of all her blood.  The body was left cannibalized as if in a satanic ceremony in front of their innocent 3-week-old baby daughter. It was Blake's extreme jealousy of the infant that triggered the murder.

If there is any good news in this story, it is that Liedel was sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole for the murder. torture. and mutilation of Iana on January 26th 2018.  Luckily there is happy news at the end about the baby - a twist of fate that brought some comfort to this poor child and her grandmother. Get ready to squirm..this isn't an easy one but I know you will be transfixed with Iana's sad story on this episode of True Crime, Fashion, and Passion.

True Crime, Fashion, and Passion is recorded and edited at DNR Studios in New York, NY.  The podcast is hosted by Phillip Bloch, cohosted by Carol Alt and Pat Cleveland.  Our Senior Producer is Annie Quaile.  Illustrations created by Antonio Contreras.  Follow him at @antonioeldeseo on Instagram. 

Special thanks to Paul van Ravenstein, Romaine Patterson, Andrew Bagley, and the entire DNR Studios crew. Additional thanks to Vinnie Postestivo.  Visit us on the web at truecrimefashionandpassion.com, on Twitter @crimefashionpod and Instagram and Facebook at @TrueCrimeFashionandPassion.

Once upon a time there was a boy in Texas who dressed a little different, thought a little different, and was a little different. He had a divine destiny and was blessed by God & Beyonce. Who could ask for anything more?  Only someone with so much more to give.

Ty Hunter has been sharing his talents, personal style, and love of the fashion world and pop culture for several decades, creating iconic images for the biggest star in the world and a few other talented folks. No creative challenge is too big for Ty, from music videos and huge concert tours to all the major red carpets any celebrity could ever walk - from the historic Emmy win for Billy Porter to the inauguration performances for President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama.  However, it is not necessarily Ty’s creative talents and fashion magic that define him.  It is his gentle, chill demeanor, his spiritual outlook, and positive perspective on the roller coaster of life that keeps fans and friends enamored with this style savant.

His life appears to be as glittery as Beyonce's golden hair or the trophies she’s won but it is not. The road to greatness and success in the entertainment and fashion industry is a bumpy windy road and success is relative because you're only as good as your last success.  Even if your career is successful your personal life has its challenges.  We all have pain, we all have problems, and we all have ups and downs in our life, even if Kelly, Michelle, and Beyonce are your sistas.  Whether it's his parents’ courageous battles with cancer or trying to guide and raise his beautiful daughter while having to miss the most important parts of her childhood galivanting around the globe with Bae’s gowns, which is not the easiest thing to do contrary to what many would think. Ty and Phillip keep it 100 about the racism and discrimination in the fashion and entertainment industry, especially in the 90s and early 2000s.  It was extremely difficult to get clothing and gowns for black actresses and any talent of color, no matter what the situation.

Ty has found his secret to success, and it is the happiness of others that gives him happiness in a world that is very fickle and hard to figure and sometimes hard to please. His Instagram is on fire and his book, A Makeover From Within, has inspired so many people around the world too change their perspective, change their life, and change their destiny.  We hope you will join us on this special journey into the life career of our friend, Ty Hunter.

True Crime, Fashion, and Passion is recorded and edited at DNR Studios in New York, NY.  The podcast is hosted by Phillip Bloch, cohosted by Carol Alt and Pat Cleveland.  Our Senior Producer is Annie Quaile.  Illustrations created by Antonio Contreras.  Follow him at @antonioeldeseo on Instagram. 

Special thanks to Paul van Ravenstein, Romaine Patterson, Andrew Bagley, and the entire DNR Studios crew. Additional thanks to Vinnie Postestivo.  Visit us on the web at truecrimefashionandpassion.com, on Twitter @crimefashionpod and Instagram and Facebook at @TrueCrimeFashionandPassion.

At 16 years old, Anand Jon was on the path to greatness in the world of fashion.  He had the love and support of his family, and he was on his way to America to follow his dreams as a fashion student. He quickly became a fashion industry favorite, being tutored by Tim Gunn and working with the legendary Donna Karan. He was a force to be reckoned with in the fickle world of fashion.  

In 1999 he became the first Indian designer to launch his own collection at New York Fashion Week.  He was quickly becoming a celebrity himself as a designer who worked with a lot of celebrity ‘IT GIRLS’ in the 90s - Paris Hilton, Lydia Hearst, Nikki Hilton, Michelle Rodriguez, Ivanka and Marla Trump.  He also designed for music royalty Mary J Blige and Janet Jackson.  However, that was all about to change when he was charged with 49 counts of sexual offense in both New York and LA.  On November 26, 2008, after many delays, denials, and demonstration, he was convicted and sentenced to an extremely lengthy prison term which is still being contested and protested by his family.

The story does not end there. On May 29, while serving his time in prison, he was brutally beaten and stabbed in the face, suffering from five facial fractures. After a brief recovery time he was transferred to the ‘sensitive needs’ area in prison where the infamous murderous duo the Menendez brothers were serving their sentences and needless to say the three have become friends. Or, I guess we could say partners in crime.

True Crime, Fashion, and Passion is recorded and edited at DNR Studios in New York, NY.  The podcast is hosted by Phillip Bloch, cohosted by Carol Alt and Pat Cleveland.  Our Senior Producer is Annie Quaile.  Illustrations created by Antonio Contreras.  Follow him at @antonioeldeseo on Instagram.  

Special thanks to Paul van Ravenstein, Romaine Patterson, Andrew Bagley, and the entire DNR Studios crew. Additional thanks to Vinnie Postestivo.  Visit us on the web at truecrimefashionandpassion.com, on Twitter @crimefashionpod and Instagram and Facebook at @TrueCrimeFashionandPassion.

The emperor of royal sartorial splendor and flotus style, Naeem Khan, has an eye for elegance and everything he touches becomes a piece of art.  He knows how to combine his limitless ideas, colors, fabrics, and beautiful women perfectly. His life and his work are a testament to his journey and all that he has learned along the way.  Dressing first ladies like Betty Ford and style icon Michelle Obama more than 68 times, Naeem has the expertise of a couturier, an innate magical ability to make every woman feel like royalty and look like a princess.  So many designers just create clothing as something to wear but when Naeem creates, it's something much deeper. His gowns and glittery pieces of art sparkle and shine almost as brightly as his famous clientele.  His training is part of family legacy, from the love they swathed him in, to the lessons in textiles and regal rituals that are deeply embedded in all his creations. Naeem took his expertise and set out to follow his dreams, traveling to New York at a young age. As luck and fashion history would have it, this restless wide-eyed wanderer landed in the showroom of Halston. A young designer's dream came true working with one of the world's most famous designers, cutting and draping silks, satins, and chiffons.  In the daytime Naeem worked in an atelier that was vibrantly creating fashion art with the likes of Andy Warhol, Pat Cleveland, & Victor Hugo and danced the night away at studio 54. Fashion is not just frivolous and fabulous for Naeem, it is a language he speaks and a VIP pass into the world of philanthropy. Naeem's not someone who just sees everything as beautiful, he consciously contributes to making the world more beautiful. As an ambassador for kindness, grace, and compassion, Naeem has traveled the world inspiring a journey of hope and sharing positivity with so many. Please join my legendary co-host Pat Cleveland and I for this effortlessly fun, elegant and intimate conversation with one of our favorite fashion creators and humanitarians, Naeem Kahn. True Crime, Fashion, and Passion is recorded and edited at DNR Studios in New York, NY. The podcast is hosted by Phillip Bloch, cohosted by Carol Alt and Pat Cleveland. Our Senior Producer is Annie Quaile. Illustrations created by Antonio Contreras. Follow him at @antonioeldeseo on Instagram. Special thanks to Paul van Ravenstein, Romaine Patterson, Andrew Bagley, and the entire DNR Studios crew. Additional thanks to Vinnie Postestivo. Visit us on the web at truecrimefashionandpassion.com, on Twitter @crimefashionpod and Instagram and Facebook at @TrueCrimeFashionandPassion.

This is the story of two fathers and two sons and the similarities stop there. Jeffrey Rackover was living the glamorous life as an affluent single man in NYC, and was the self proclaimed “jeweler to the stars” at Trump Tower. Jeffrey seemed to have it all important clients like JLo, Oprah Winfrey, and Donald Trump and a beautiful apartment on Sutton Place until one day his path crossed with Jimmy Boudoin. Even the stories about how he met Jimmy are filled with lies - Jimmy says it was at a restaurant and Jeffrey admitted it was at a NYC gym. Jimmy was a lying con man with killer good looks and a salacious past who was raised in Florida by a single mother until he charmed his way into a gay-for-pay privileged life as the adopted son of 55-year-old lonely jeweler Jeffrey Rackover. In 2013, Jimmy shamelessly changed his last name to Rackover at 22 years old and the rest is a sad story of twisted truths and a crazy afterparty that led to one of the goriest murders in NYC society & true crime history. Joey Comunale was the boy next door, a family man who loved his girlfriend and his friends and was loved by all. An avid hockey fan and player and a graduate of Hofstra University, Joey had everything to look forward to including a Sunday football game and family dinner that he never made it to. Joey’s father, Patsy Comunale, was anything but passive. He used his father's intuition, social media, and connections to the police to track down his son's killers in less than three days, but him and his family suffered through two years of hell waiting for his son's murderers to be convicted. You will not be able to stop listening to this twisted multi-layered tale of DL lies, ,drugs, and murder.  True Crime, Fashion, and Passion is recorded and edited at DNR Studios in New York, NY. The podcast is hosted by Phillip Bloch, cohosted by Carol Alt and Pat Cleveland. Our Senior Producer is Annie Quaile. Illustrations created by Antonio Contreras. Follow him at @antonioeldeseo on Instagram. Special thanks to Paul van Ravenstein, Romaine Patterson, Andrew Bagley, and the entire DNR Studios crew. Additional thanks to Vinnie Postestivo. Visit us on the web at truecrimefashionandpassion.com, on Twitter @crimefashionpod and Instagram and Facebook at @TrueCrimeFashionandPassion.