Heidi Klum revealed her 2026 Halloween costume after weeks of teasing on Instagram, and the final result was a bloody, extremely lifelike severed hand with bone shards exposed at the wrist. The model had solicited guesses from followers, who floated ideas including a look inspired by The Substance, but the reveal caught most of them off guard.
The hand was built to resemble Klum's own, down to the veins, her engagement and wedding rings and a vampy berry manicure. Her face was largely concealed within the flesh, peeking out near the severed wrist and covered in prosthetics and makeup designed to look like tissue and blood.
Prosthetics designer Mike Marino, who has worked with Klum on previous costumes, told Allure that planning begins almost as soon as the prior Halloween ends. Klum's past looks have included Medusa, a worm, a wig-wearing version of E.T. and a peacock, and she has avoided repeating herself. This year's reveal coincided with her 25th anniversary party. In a post on Instagram, Klum said she wanted "something unexpected, a little weird, a little creepy, and unlike anything I'd ever done before."
According to Marino, the costume relied on a system of "harnesses, mechanics, motion, fluid motion" that moves organically rather than like a liquid. Despite its scale, he said the hand was fairly light: about eight to ten pounds of "super lightweight upholstery foam and latex," plus harnesses, straps and some silicone. Klum was positioned inside, pulling specific mechanisms to animate it. Marino described the annual build as research and development with no instruction manual.
For the face, Marino first created sculptures, layering one version showing muscle, organs and fat with another carrying a goofy expression intended to pair with the giant hand and add a comedic edge, which he likened on Instagram to a mutant muppet. The team front-loads as much work as possible, including fittings and pre-painting. This year, the actual getting-ready process began around 3 p.m. Eastern on Halloween, and Klum made her debut late that night. Marino said the costume always comes together in the end, though it inevitably takes a long time regardless of complexity.
Klum did not stay in the full costume all night; she eventually removed the enormous hand but kept the face makeup in place.
Sources: Allure.