Supermodel and self-proclaimed “Queen of Halloween” Heidi Klum has once again raised the bar for celebrity costumes. At her 25th annual Halloween party held at Cathédrale Restaurant at the Moxy East Village in New York City, the 53-year-old arrived as a hyper-realistic, nearly two-meter-tall severed replica of her own left hand, complete with veins, wrinkles, long red nails, jewelry, and a bloody, tendon-dangling wrist.
The optical illusion costume was as detailed as it was gruesome. Klum’s legs formed two of the fingers, her arm controlled the thumb, and only her eyes and mouth were visible through a gory opening near the palm and wrist area, framed by exposed bone, muscle, and dripping fake blood. She occasionally spat blood injected by assistants for added effect. Oversized versions of her rings (including her engagement ring and wedding band) and a tattoo of husband Tom Kaulitz’s name on the ring finger completed the personal touch. Helpers in blood-stained yellow hazmat suits guided the massive prop, which was delivered in a truck, down the blue carpet.
In an instagram post she said:
“For the 25th anniversary of my Halloween party, I knew I had to go BIG! Sometimes the most ordinary things can become the most extraordinary when you look at them a little differently. I wanted something unexpected, a little weird, a little creepy, and unlike anything I’d ever done before… and boy oh boy did Mike Marino @prorenfx and his entire team deliver. I love that in a world where so much isn’t made by hand anymore – every vein, wrinkle, and little detail of this costume was. A true labor of love.
To my incredible team… I’ve got to hand it to you!!! Every year I think there’s no way we can top the last, and somehow we do. Thank you for dreaming big with me 🙏 Now what will we come up with for next year?????
DANKE”
Klum explained the idea simply: “I looked at my hand and I thought, ‘Hey, I think I could fit my body in this somehow.’” Longtime collaborator and special-effects artist Mike Marino (of ProRenFX) used body scans to create an exact anatomical replica from lightweight foam, latex, harnesses, and silicone. The finished piece weighed roughly 8–10 pounds and required five to six hours to put on after months of construction. Marino added a slightly comedic “mutant Muppet” quality to the face while keeping the gore extreme. Klum noted, “It’s not just any giant hand: It’s my giant hand!” and later admitted the hardest part was simply carrying it.
This marked the 25th edition of Klum’s legendary party, a tradition that began in 2000 and has become one of Halloween’s biggest celebrity events. Previous standouts include her 2025 full-body Medusa (with animatronic snakes, scales, tail, fangs, and reptilian contacts), a 2024 E.T. look, the iconic 2022 rain worm, a peacock, Jessica Rabbit, Fiona from Shrek, and a Thriller werewolf. She consistently aims for unrecognizability and spectacle over pretty or sexy.
The party drew the usual crowd of stars in creative costumes. Notable guests included Kyle MacLachlan as a Flintstones character, Neil Patrick Harris and David Burtka as the twins from The Shining, and Klum’s daughter Leni. Other looks ranged from movie characters and statues to more conceptual outfits. Kaulitz was on tour and missed the event, though Klum joked that “a little bit of Tom” was still with her via the tattoo detail.
Fans and media reacted with a mix of shock, awe, and amusement. Teasers of organs, blood, and prosthetics in the days prior had sparked wild guesses (including the creature from The Substance), but few predicted a literal giant hand. Comments praised the commitment and the wait, with many calling it one of her most jaw-dropping transformations yet.
Now the predictions have already started for her next big costume, what do you think she will dress up as?
