Heidi Klum kicked off the weekend by lighting the Empire State Building wearing a Kilian Kerner dress that walked the fine line between avant-garde fashion and pure spectacle, as tomandlorenzo.com reported. But that glowing mid-town appearance served merely as the runway prologue for a much heavier lift.
On Saturday, October 31, 2026, the 53-year-old supermodel and television host hosted her 25th annual Halloween party at Cathédrale in New York City, presenting an evening backed by Apothic and Butterfinger. The focal point of the night was Klum’s arrival in a life-sized, fully realized costume of a severed manicured hand, complete with painted red fingernails, gold rings, and a bloody gash at the wrist framing her actual face.
The Engineering Behind the Severed Hand
Bringing the heavy-duty illusion to life required months of technical preparation and a small army of technicians. Klum told USA TODAY that roughly 10 to 15 people were required to get her into the costume on the day of the event, though a much larger team had been building and painting the design for months. Her friend and long-time collaborator Mike Marino customized the gory details, including the veins, prosthetics, and tissue effects. Days before the party, at an October 29 pre-party, Klum offered a cryptic warning to reporters that her body would fit into a shape completely foreign to standard human anatomy.
The outfit also carried a personal touch. Her 22-year-old daughter, Leni Klum, pointed out to USA TODAY that her mother incorporated her real wedding ring from husband Tom Kaulitz into the hand’s jewelry layout. Leni attended the event dressed as a glamorous Miss Piggy complete with a purple feather boa and a pink snout.
I just saw my mom, I love that she added her wedding ring onto the costume. I think it’s sick, and I’m going to have a great night.
— Leni Klum
A Family Affair and a Star-Studded Room
Beyond Leni, all four of Klum’s children turned out for the silver-anniversary celebration. Henry Samuel arrived wearing a Kermit the Frog hat with his face painted green, while Johan Samuel and Lou Samuel also joined their mother on the carpet, according to justjared.com.
The guest list inside Cathédrale mirrored the scale of past milestones. Notable attendees included Taylor Momsen, Lux Pascal, Denée Benton, Questlove, Andrew Rannells, Tuc Watkins, Shaun Ross, Jade Thirlwall, Kyle MacLachlan, Desiree Gruber, Valentina Sampaio, Chase Hudson, Ellen Von Unwerth, Haley Kalil, Eric McCormack, James Charles, Neil Patrick Harris, David Burtka, Jesse James Keitel, Alexis Stone, Francesca Scorsese, Joey Fatone, Paris Jackson, Ice-T and Coco Austin.
Noticeably absent from the floor was Tom Kaulitz. Klum noted ahead of the party that her husband was away on tour, leaving her without her intended counterpart. She admitted to USA TODAY that he could easily have served as the matching right hand to her left-hand design if he had been able to make the trip.
More on New York City
Heidi Klum arrives as a severed human hand at her Halloween party in New York City pic.twitter.com/NrjMIFyFPC
Heidi Klum transformed into a bloody severed hand for Halloween as her iconic costume party marked 25 years in New York. #heidiklum #halloween #heidihalloween pic.twitter.com/rxf25FW1Dp
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