Heidi Klum is at it again. The supermodel and 'Project Runway' host is gearing up for her annual “Heidi-ween” party in New York City tonight, and, true to form, she’s promising a transformation that will stun even her most devoted fans.
For decades, Klum has turned Halloween into a full-blown spectacle, hosting her star-studded bash nearly every year since 2000, with brief pauses in 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic.
© HeidiKlum/IGEach year, the 52-year-old raises the bar for creativity and shock value. Last year, she and husband Tom Kaulitz became everyone’s favorite extraterrestrials, dressing as E.T. from Steven Spielberg’s 1982 classic. Klum even bent her finger to match the iconic alien. “E.T. has been part of most of our lives,” she told People in 2024. “I’ve always been a big fan.”
© Heidi Klum/IGThis year, she’s teasing something far from sweet. “I’m going to be very ugly because I always try to do something different,” Klum told People, promising a look that diverges from past costumes like a worm, a massive peacock, a werewolf, and even clones.
© HeidiKlum/IGShe elaborated to USA Today, saying she wanted to create something “very ugly and unusual, but something also that everyone will recognize and know.” And, she added, the best part of these transformations is when “people don't really see me in there anymore.”
© HeidiKlum/IGFans have already gotten glimpses of what’s to come. On Instagram earlier today, Klum shared a close-up of sharp teeth, a video with greenish face paint, and another of herself undergoing prosthetic application.
© HeidiKlum/IGHer makeup is detailed and immersive, her skin coated in green, eyebrows dyed to match, and a bald cap topping it all. The clips were paired with eerie chimes and spooky background music, prompting speculation that she might be channeling everything from The Grinch to a Gremlin, or even a sea creature.
© HeidiKlum/IGKlum hinted at the creative process earlier this month with an Instagram post of a hyper-realistic clay model of her face, captioned, “This is only the beginning.” That post set the stage for what fans are anticipating to be her most elaborate costume yet.
© HeidiKlum/IGKlum admitted that it took years to reach the prosthetic-driven heights she’s known for today. “I had to do my own hair and makeup,” she reflected. “I didn’t know anyone at the time who does special effects makeup. But over the years, I’ve met amazing people and they help me now.”
© HeidiKlum/IGFor several years, she has collaborated with prosthetic makeup designer Mike Marino, who has worked on films including 'The Penguin' and 'A Different Man.' Marino has compared the stress of creating Klum’s annual Halloween look to a battlefield. “You basically prepare for some sort of extreme challenge,” he told Today last year. “It’s never easy. But that’s what we do. I’m one of the luckiest people in the world.”
Behind-the-scenes images show Klum with green prosthetics and holding wires for animatronics, hinting that her costume could combine makeup, practical effects, and robotics. If past years are any indication, the final reveal will be as shocking as it is dazzling, cementing Heidi Klum’s status as the queen of Halloween.
