All that glitters is not gold - the mysterious death of Katoucha Naine

True Crime, Fashion and Passion

Katoucha Naine was famous because she was beautiful. She was infamous because she was courageous and tenacious. Katoucha was more than a supermodel, she was a super woman and a super human being. Though she struggled with her demons it was her demons that drove her passion. She fought for what she believed was right. In her extraordinary life she used her power and fame to fight against the tribal rituals that had tortured her as a child and took away the private part of her that she felt was the most important part of her femininity. But in her luxurious world of being one of Paris's biggest runway stars and as one of the worlds first black supermodels, Katoucha was strong powerful, and defiant. Her looks inspired designers & photographers around the world. Her courageous strength manifested into a catwalk saunter that was undeniably her own. As the Muse of Yves Saint Laurent, Christian Dior, Gian Franco Ferre, and so many others, Katoucha was a symbol of femininity, elegance and glamour. In our episodes of True Crime, Fashion, and Passion, we often learn that there are no coincidences in life or in death. The struggles that Katoucha experienced became her raison de etre (her reason to live) in life. In so many of the true crimes in fashion stories we have looked at, we have seen how the sins of the fathers have been passed down to their sons but in this case it is the sins and the traumas of a mother's religious customs that were passed down from generation to generation. Katoucha's mother forced her to be circumcised as a child in an already traumatic familial story of sexual abuse, political intrigue and unrest in Africa. This circumcision caused a lifetime of scarring and hurt for Katoucha but she was bound and determined to make a difference and to not let her tragic story become the tragic story of the next generation for her children. The lessons Katoucha learned were passed down to her daughter, Aiden Curtis. who as a model has become an instant star shining brightly not because of her mother's name but because of her mother's inspiration and lessons learned. It is the bright part of this sad story to see the success that her daughter is reveling in. It would give Katouch Niane the satisfaction and peace that she so tragically searched for throughout her own life. It is a mother's love and devotion and final epiphanies that brings this tragic story full circle to a bitter but sweet ending. However when you are one of the most beautiful women in the world and one of the most intriguing and glamorous supermodels to have ever walked the runways of Paris, the images that you leave behind in your legacy as the Princess of Peau leave a little bit of beauty in the world for everyone to remember that Katoucha's beauty was not only skin deep. We hope you take the time to listen to the story about Phillip's beautiful friend and her story of all that glitters is not gold and everything in the beauty business is not beautiful.

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.