TSR Investigates
Valdrin Sahiti is a celebrity designer behind the stunning styles worn by Taraji P. Henson, Beyoncé, Halle Bailey, and more. However, the 37-year-old is now being accused of scamming several Black women out of thousands of dollars.
According to The Shade Room’s Justin Carter, the women allege Sahiti ghosted them after they paid hefty deposits for custom wedding gowns.
Now, on this episode of ‘TSR Investigates,’ Carter is getting to the bottom of it all.
According to Carter, one particular Instagram post of Sahiti’s caught the eye of Tatiana French. French is a soon-to-be bride who will be walking down the aisle this spring.
The woman, based in Texas, says she was instructed to send her “first deposit” in September 2023. Then, she needed to complete professional measurements, and within 6-8 weeks, her custom gown, made in Kosovo, South Europe, would be ready.
“Midway between the 6-8 weeks, they said [I] would have a video showing with the dress on a model of similar measurements,” French told Carter.
According to the soon-to-be bride, she and Sahiti’s company agreed on a gown with a price tag of $2,500. French paid a security deposit of $1,331.
“Then, they’ll do the final touches or whatever that may be, and then they’ll get it shipped out to [me], and shipping would take 24-48 hours through DHL,” French explained.
At the end of the eight-week process, however, French said she hadn’t “heard anything.”
In November, French reached out to the company via WhatsApp. However, according to Carter, she “got the run around for days.”
Frustrated, French booked her flight to Kosovo, determined to bring back her gown “by any means necessary.”
Sahiti’s company begged the soon-to-be bride to “be patient,” as they had “no intention” of keeping her gown from her. French never made her trip to Kosovo. However, she remained persistent.
On January 3, Sahiti’s company requested French to send the remainder of her payment with an additional $500 for shipping.
“It was just a Western Union link, and it says, ‘Send money to this person,’ and then the email confirmation was supposed to go to them, but I’m supposed to be paying DHL,” French said. “Another $500 is crazy — after I’ve already sent you this money, and you’re not even communicating with me effectively.”
However, French wasn’t the only Black woman who experienced the run-around with the celebrity designer. Scroll above to watch as more Black women share their experiences with Valdrin Sahiti, how the company has responded, and whether or not these soon-to-be brides received their thousand-dollar gowns.
TSR Investigates explores cold cases and special interest news stories underrepresented in mainstream media.
