Leopards, Legacies & Layers: Anna Sui’s ‘Madcap Heiress’ Takes Over NYFW

If there’s one thing Anna Sui knows how to do, it’s throw a fashion party where history, whimsy, and a touch of mischief collide. On the third day of New York Fashion Week, inside the gilded halls of The National Arts Club, Sui unleashed her Fall 2025 collection, Madcap Heiress—a delightfully unhinged love letter to the extravagance of the 1930s, with a playful nod to the 1990s all in 29 Looks.

Sui’s inspiration? Bringing Up Baby, the 1938 screwball comedy starring Katharine Hepburn and her rather peculiar pet—yes, a literal leopard. And just like that feline co-star, the collection prowled onto the runway with attitude, elegance, and a few unexpected twists. Think: animal print splashed across shoes, coats with a vintage flair, and accessories dripping in old-money grandeur. But this wasn’t just a homage to one silver screen queen. Sui had an entire entourage of wild socialites in mind—Katherine Hepburn, Peggy Guggenheim, Barbara Hutton, and Doris Duke. These were women who inherited jaw-dropping fortunes and spent them on art, jewels, and men (as Sui cheekily put it). And what better way to channel their lavish, devil-may-care spirit than with a wardrobe that screams both old-money opulence and downtown cool?

True to Sui’s signature aesthetic, the collection was a masterclass in layering—vintage silhouettes with a 1990s remix. There were tea dresses that looked plucked straight from a jazz-age soirée, sharply tailored jodhpurs for the heiress who dabbles in horseback riding (or just posing), and coats that wouldn’t be out of place at a smoky Parisian café. Textures and patterns ran wild: stripes, tweeds, zigzags, lace, and fluoro Fair Isle cozied up together like an unlikely but totally fabulous fashion gang. The pièce de résistance? A sumptuous lamp brocade that shimmered under the runway lights, whispering tales of a bygone era. And let’s talk about those colours ! The palette was a moody, decadent affair—earthy greens and browns, fiery reds, and an occasional burst of black and purple, as if the heiresses had just come from an impromptu masquerade.

Naturally, no heiress worth her trust fund would be caught dead without the right jewels, and Sui ensured her girls were dripping in it. Estate-style jewelry from Erickson Beamon added that extra touch of “old money, but make it fashion,” while the eyewear (courtesy of the Mondottica Group for Anna Sui) gave just the right amount of eccentric, art-collecting heiress energy.

And the shoes? Well, let’s just say if a leopard-print Wellington boot heel isn’t the definition of Madcap, then what is?

The Verdict? Utterly Fabulous. With Madcap Heiress, Anna Sui gave us an escapist fantasy—one where eccentric socialites flit between lavish estates, throw caution (and money) to the wind, and dress with a kind of reckless glamour that feels both nostalgic and refreshingly new. It was vintage with a wink, luxury with a dash of chaos, and most importantly, fashion with a story to tell.

If this is what being a madcap heiress looks like, sign us up.