On 31 October 2026, Heidi Klum arrived in New York for her 25th annual party in a truck decorated with "danger" signs, accompanied by people in yellow hazmat suits. She herself became a giant severed left hand — an exact replica of her own, complete with veins, wrinkles, long red nails and even a tattoo of her husband Tom Kaulitz's name on her ring finger.
The costume, which was worked on by the special effects team ProRenFX led by Mike Marino, was created over months using 3D scans of the model's body. At the party at Cathédrale Restaurant at Moxy East Village, Klum was almost unrecognizable: only her eyes and mouth were visible, with fake blood periodically dripping from the latter. The model's legs formed two fingers, her right hand controlled the thumb, and the whole structure weighed so much that it had to be carried.
Klum had warned in advance that the look would be "very, very bloody" and paired well with red wine — she even released a limited collaboration with Apothic Wines in the form of "blood" pouches. The idea was born back last year: looking at her hand, the model wondered whether she could fit inside it entirely.
Over 25 years, the tradition has become Klum's main brand. Each costume is not just a masquerade but a way to remind people of her existence at a moment when her career as a model and TV host no longer requires daily public attention. This year, the emphasis on personal details — rings, the tattoo of her husband, who couldn't come because of a tour — makes the look not just shocking but deeply personal.
Five to six hours of preparation and the constant weight of the structure — that is the price Klum pays for the status of "queen of Halloween." There is always a team around her, but inside this enormous prosthetic she remains alone, and that feeling, it seems, is exactly what draws her back year after year.
By her own account, she starts thinking up the next costume the very day after the party. The only question is what else can be turned into something more than just a body part.
