Busted and Disgusted! (Or Not) Saks Star Stylist Fights Back
A longtime luxury personal shopper once trusted by some of Boston’s wealthiest clients is now suing his former employer, claiming the company pushed him into false statements that later became the basis for criminal charges.
Suhail Kwatra, 43, spent roughly two decades styling prominent Boston socialites while working as a personal shopper at Saks Fifth Avenue. In December, Boston Police Department obtained a criminal complaint accusing him of stealing more than $400,000 through fraudulent refunds and misuse of promotional gift cards.
Kwatra denies the allegations. Now, he’s taking the fight to civil court.
Claims of retaliation and pressure
In a lawsuit filed this week in Suffolk Superior Court, Kwatra alleges Saks retaliated against him after learning he had interviewed for a job with a competing retailer. According to the filing, that retaliation escalated quickly.
Kwatra claims he was removed from a client appointment and taken to a private office, where two asset protection managers questioned him in isolation. The lawsuit says he never admitted to stealing or engaging in criminal behavior but was pressured to sign documents under threat.
Those documents allegedly included a promissory note for nearly half a million dollars and a written statement describing misconduct Kwatra says did not occur. In exchange, he claims, he was promised confidentiality and assurances that the matter would not be referred for criminal prosecution.
The lawsuit describes the experience as coercive and humiliating, alleging Saks managers refused to explain the basis for the accusations while warning that his reputation would be destroyed if he did not comply.
Criminal case still moving forward
Despite those alleged assurances, criminal charges were later filed. Prosecutors claim Kwatra processed fraudulent refunds and improperly handled gift cards and merchandise over an extended period.
Kwatra’s lawsuit argues that the statements obtained during the internal investigation were used to support the criminal complaint, forming the foundation of what he now calls a false arrest.
Saks has not publicly responded to the lawsuit.
What happens next
Kwatra is seeking damages for false arrest, defamation, and interference with his career. He is scheduled to be arraigned later this month, where the criminal case will formally move forward.
For now, the situation places a once well-connected figure in Boston’s luxury retail world at the center of two parallel legal battles, one criminal, one civil, both likely to draw continued attention as more details emerge.
