Heidi Klum has done it again, and this time she came to her own party as a giant, bloody, severed hand.
The model and TV presenter, crowned the Queen of Halloween by the American press, unveiled her 2026 costume on Saturday night at her 25th annual Halloween party at Cathédrale in New York City, the Associated Press reported. The costume was a huge replica of her own left hand, with long red nails, a thumb ring, and her engagement ring and wedding band, with only her eyes and mouth visible.
Five to six hours to get into it
According to AP, blood dripped from her mouth, and the top of the hand ended in dangling ligaments and tendons. She arrived flanked by helpers in blood-stained hazmat suits, as though they had just recovered the limb from a crime scene.
Klum told AP that the idea came to her last year, and that getting into the prosthetic took around five to six hours, with the build taking far longer. She also joked that the hardest part was simply carrying the weight of it.
There was a romantic touch hidden in the gore. Her husband, Tokio Hotel guitarist Tom Kaulitz, could not attend because he was on tour, so the hand carries a tattoo of his name on the ring finger. “A little bit of Tom is with me,” she told AP.
Forbes reported that Klum spent Saturday afternoon teasing the look on social media with clips of the costume being prepared, which hinted at a “bloody creature” and had fans guessing everything from tentacles to intestines.
From the worm to Medusa: Heidi’s hall of fame
Klum’s first Halloween party was in 2000, and her costumes have become an event in their own right. In 2022 she went viral as a giant worm, hauled onto the red carpet on a fishing line. Last year she was Medusa, with Kaulitz as a knight turned to stone, and in 2024 the pair came as versions of E.T. Other memorable looks include a skinless human, a peacock, an eight-foot Transformer, the werewolf from Michael Jackson’s Thriller video, Fiona from Shrek, and Jessica Rabbit.
The other stars who went all out
Klum was far from the only celebrity in costume this weekend. Forbes and ABC News rounded up some of the best:
Kim Kardashian came as her own daughter, North West, complete with blue hair and piercings. North West, in turn, cycled through several looks including Edward Scissorhands, Hatsune Miku and reality star Natalie Nunn, who returned the favour by dressing as North.
Dolly Parton was the costume of the weekend, with both Lizzo and British singer Rita Ora channelling the country legend. Lizzo’s look was based on Parton’s 1970s variety-show wardrobe.
Keke Palmer and her son came as Janet and Michael Jackson in their futuristic outfits from the Scream music video, while Olivia Rodrigo played a concert in Columbus, Ohio, dressed as Marie Antoinette. Lisa Rinna dressed as Kylie Jenner, and girl group KATSEYE came as DC Comics heroines and villains including Wonder Woman and Harley Quinn. Ashley Graham was Ariel from The Little Mermaid, according to ABC.
And over at Madison Square Garden, Harry Styles recreated his 2010 X Factor audition look during his Harryween concerts.
Want to copy the look? The Irish angle
Halloween, of course, has its roots in the ancient Irish festival of Samhain, when people wore disguises to confuse wandering spirits. The tradition travelled to America with Irish emigrants, and it has come back to us supersized. Klum’s prosthetic took a professional team and the best part of a working day to apply, so for most of us, a pair of rubber gloves and some fake blood will have to do.
What happens next
Halloween may be over, but Klum’s reveal usually dominates social feeds for days, and more pictures from the party are expected from the agencies. If the past 25 years are anything to go by, the speculation about what she will do for next year’s party will start almost immediately. Klum has said the ideas often come a year in advance, as this one did.
Sources
- CBS News (Associated Press): Heidi Klum reveals a giant severed hand as 2026 Halloween costume (1 November 2026)
- Forbes: Heidi Klum gives final teases of gory Halloween costume ahead of her annual bash (31 October 2026)
- Forbes: Best celebrity Halloween costumes 2026 (31 October 2026)
- ABC News: See the best celebrity Halloween costumes of 2026 (31 October 2026)
Featured image: Heidi Klum (2851174420) by A Continuous Lean from New York City, United States, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
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