The 53-year-old supermodel posted a textured, flesh-like image with the caption “What’s my costume?”, leaving fans guessing a week before her annual party.
Heidi Klum is keeping fans guessing about her costume for the 2026 edition of her annual Halloween party. The 53-year-old supermodel, known for her commitment to spooky season, shared what appears to be a close-up of textured, flesh-like prosthetic make-up on Instagram. “What’s my costume?” she captioned the post. “One week to go….#HeidiHalloween.” The party is due on Saturday 31 October in New York.
What the image shows
The close-up shows several prosthetic creations that loosely resemble human organs, though some fans have likened them to sea organisms. “Sea urchins or sea cucumber or Ursula from The Little Mermaid,” one fan guessed. The image is not advised for squeamish viewers, and no verified photographs of the full costume have been released.
The clues
According to The Sun, Klum has shared six further images in collaboration with Apothic wine: human bones, blonde hair, a human heart, an orange heel, a dagger and an egg yolk. Some fans think their initial letters spell BLOODY, which Klum has not confirmed. The clues have prompted two theories, Monstro Elisasue from the 2024 horror film The Substance, and the blood-covered horror character Carrie. Both are speculation, and the clues do not necessarily point to a specific film character. Klum has previously drawn on animals, mythical creatures, films and original designs.
Klum has said the look will involve considerably more blood and gore than last year’s Medusa transformation, according to a September interview with People cited by E! Online. The costume is linked to the Apothic collaboration, which has produced a limited-edition collectible resembling a blood-transfusion bag, signed by Klum and presented in a red cooler, Parade reports.
Behind the scenes
Klum told Bustle in June that her costume maker initially questioned whether the design could be made, after difficulties emerged in the first week of production. The Hollywood prosthetics specialist Mike Marino, founder of Prosthetic Renaissance, has worked on the transformation. He previously helped create her Medusa and E.T. looks. She began planning before Halloween 2025 had even taken place, she said, which reduced later pressure. She described the look as physically demanding for herself and the effects team, and told Vogue at Cannes in May that it could be among her most ambitious. On Sunday, People reported that she posted an Instagram Story of herself browsing a large fabric shop.
By comparison, last year’s Medusa costume took about ten hours to apply and involved around 15 specialists, with mechanical snakes, extensive body prosthetics and hand-painted details, according to E! Online.
Without her husband
Klum’s husband, Tom Kaulitz, will not wear a matching costume this year. He confirmed in a September episode of the Kaulitz Hills podcast that he and his twin brother Bill will miss the party because of Tokio Hotel’s European tour, Vogue Germany reports. The band has a sold-out concert in Hamburg on 1 November. The couple considered flying between New York and Germany but judged it too risky for the concert schedule, so Klum is expected to attend without him. He has often joined her in elaborate matching outfits.
The party marks 25 years since Klum began hosting in 2000, though some years were interrupted, including during the pandemic, so the anniversary does not equal the number of parties held, according to Parade. The venue and guest list have not been confirmed.
