A longtime Saks Fifth Avenue stylist who built his career dressing members of Boston’s wealthy elite was accused of exploiting a client later diagnosed with dementia — charging millions of dollars in luxury goods she allegedly never received.
Suhail Kwatra, 43, once celebrated as the self-styled “Fashion Whisperer of Boston,” is accused by the son of Wendy Appel of abusing his position as her trusted personal shopper while she was suffering from the effects of multiple strokes and cognitive decline, according to a Wall Street Journal investigation.
The allegations involving Appel — which Kwatra strongly denies — sit at the center of a widening scandal that has already led to his firing from Saks Fifth Avenue, a criminal complaint accusing him of stealing nearly $430,000 from the retailer and mounting questions about how long store managers ignored red flags.
