There are arguably few celebrities who take Halloween as seriously as Heidi Klum. The model has been hosting her annual Halloween party since 2000. In addition to the celebrity-studded guest list, which has included everyone from Barbara Palvin to Paris Hilton, the event is also known for Klum’s over-the-top costumes.
As the host for her party, Klum pulls out all the stops for the annual fete and leaves no stone unturned when it comes to her costume details. She has embodied the iconic cartoon character Jessica Rabbit from “Who Framed Roger Rabbit?,” a golden alien and even a worm.
Year over year, Klum’s costumes vary greatly from one another as she crafts once-in-a-lifetime looks. Here, WWD takes a closer look at Heidi Klum’s costumes throughout the years.
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2023, Peacock
Heidi Klum opted for a group costume in 2023, going as a peacock with a troupe of Cirque du Soleil performers as her feathers. Her husband, Tom Kaulitz, also participated in the costume, arriving as a gigantic egg. Klum, whose beak even moved when she spoke, explained the idea behind her peacock costume on the red carpet, saying, “I thought it would be cool to be a peacock because a peacock is all put together with his feathers and then you can spread them out. I thought the feathers could be people and we could all pile up on each other.” She also revealed that in order to fully commit to her costumes she limits her food and liquids intake three hours before she arrives at the party.
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2022, Worm
After a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Klum’s Halloween party returned with a bang. Following much speculation of what she would show up dressed as, Klum made everyone scratch their heads when she arrived dressed as a worm after teasing her look on Instagram stories. It was a look that got everyone talking after the hiatus.
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2021, Mummy
In 2021, Heidi Klum chose to forego her annual Halloween party, instead creating a sequel to her previous year’s short horror comedy, rich in prosthetics. Her Halloween film featured her transformation into a zombie-like character, complete with a detachable ear and lifelike rotting skin textures, along with wigs and contact lenses enhancing the undead effect. The short’s special effects, including a spinning head and projectile vomiting, drew inspiration from horror classics like “The Exorcist” and “The Shining” and can be seen here.
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2020, Wall and Bedsheets Disguise
During the pandemic, although Klum did not host her annual Halloween bash, she still embraced the spirit of the season by creating a horror film with her four children — Lenny, Henry, Johan, and Lou — and her husband, Tom Kaulitz. In the short film, which can be seen on her Instagram, Klum’s character must hide from her family, who are possessed by evil spirits. To stay undercover, she uses two “disguise” looks: blending into the wall and turning herself into a bedsheet. These looks, primarily body paint, took David Gilmore and his team about seven hours each to complete.
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2019, Alien
For the 20th anniversary of her annual Halloween party, Klum dialed up the gore. She went as an alien, in a prosthetic bodysuit spliced open to reveal layers of muscle, intestines and a brain. Her Halloween look, which took 12 hours to come together, was also full of stapled sutures, metal hardware and wires connecting different parts of her body. Klum’s husband Tom Kaulitz also dressed up in-theme, going as a blood-splattered astronaut with an impaled helmet who brought Klum back to planet earth.
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2018, Princess Fiona From “Shrek”
Heidi Klum was seeing green on Halloween in 2018. The model and TV personality went as Princess Fiona from “Shrek,” fully committing to her costume with prosthetics from her ears to her hands. Klum was completely unrecognizable beneath her makeup, as was her husband Tom Kaulitz who went as Shrek.
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2017, Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” Werecat
There was no question about the inspiration for Heidi Klum’s 2017 Halloween look: She went as the werecat — commonly referred to as a werewolf — from Michael Jackson’s “Thriller.” Klum nailed the look in a letterman jacket identical to the one from the music video atop an open plaid shirt, a pair of rolled up jeans and loafers with ankle socks. There was no detail missing from her look, made possible by prosthetics.
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2016, Heidi Klum Clones
Heidi Klum didn’t have to spend as many hours in glam getting into her Halloween costume in 2016 — but her clones did. Klum attended her annual party alongside five lookalikes, whose near-identical appearances were made possible by prosthetics, wigs and fake eyebrows. The clones and Klum all wore matching Hervé Léger by Max Azria bodysuits and beige thigh-high suede boots.
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2015, Jessica Rabbit
“Who Framed Roger Rabbit?” was one of the biggest box office hits of its day during the ’80s, and featured one of the most memorable cartoon characters of all time, Jessica Rabbit. Klum channeled Rabbit for her costume at her 2015 party in a beaded red gown with a thigh slit, red slingback heels, a red-orange wig and purple opera gloves. Klum even contoured her face to give the illusion of Rabbit’s signature cheekbones.
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2014, Butterfly
Heidi Klum metamorphosed into a human-sized butterfly for her Halloween party in 2014, complete with antennae and compound eyes. Her wings spanned out farther than her arms and stretched out longer than her body and blended in seamlessly with her painted bodysuit and body paint.
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2013, Senior Citizen
At her 2013 Halloween Party, Klum channeled retiree inspiration by wearing a senior citizen-inspired outfit. She aged herself up with prosthetic makeup giving herself wrinkled skin and liver spots. Her outfit included a floral blouse, pearls, a houndstooth skirt, a nude handbag and nude ballet flats.
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2012, Cleopatra
Heidi Klum postponed her Halloween party from October to December in the wake of Hurricane Sandy in 2012, but she still unveiled her costume during Halloween month. Klum collaborated with costume designer Martin Izquierdo on a golden Cleopatra costume. Klum wore a gold gown with a matching cape. She topped her look with gold jewelry and a gold headdress.
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2011, Human Cadaver
From anatomically exposed to fully furred, Klum’s 2011 Halloween costumes showcased her meticulous approach to costume design. For her first Halloween party in Las Vegas, she appeared as a skinless human cadaver, revealing every muscle and sinew through Martin Izquierdo’s design.
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2011, Ape
Later, at her second soiree at the PH-D Rooftop Lounge in New York City, Klum wore a realistic ape costume alongside her then-husband Seal. This ensemble featured lifelike faux fur and detailed prosthetics, including mammary glands and ears.
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2010, Towering Robot
Klum embraced the futuristic trend of the time with her two-ton, towering robot costume. The sci-fi costume included a metallic helmet-style headpiece with intricate robotic details, complemented by Klum’s glittering purple and red contact lenses. The shimmering bodysuit included structured, armor-like components, and towering stilts that added dramatic height.
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2009, Crow
Animal inspiration is a regular draw for Klum when it comes to deciding her Halloween costumes. At her 2009 Halloween party, she went dressed as a crow. Despite the all-feather ensemble, no actual birds were harmed in the making of this costume, which was complete with black fishnet tights and thigh-high boots.
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2008, Kali
In 2008, Klum dressed up as Kali, the Hindu goddess of death and time. The costume featured a blue bodysuit with multiple arms and gold jewelry, designed to reflect the traditional depiction of the goddess. The costume drew attention for its cultural appropriation and received some backlash for depicting a sacred figure in a frivolous manner. At the time, Klum claimed her assistant suggested the costume.
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2007, Cat
Klum went dressed as a cat with glitter eye shimmer for her 2007 Halloween party. Her platform heels helped complete that year’s statement look.
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2006, The Forbidden Fruit
Klum opted to get creative with her baby bump for her 2006 Halloween costume. Dressing as the forbidden fruit from the Garden of Eden, her costume incorporated her pregnancy with the apple’s round shape. Her then-husband, Seal, dressed up as Eve.
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2005, Vampire
Klum went full-on vampire for her 2005 Halloween party. Her costume included a black minidress with a red tulle underlining, a black sheer cape with cobweb embroidery, black patent leather thigh-high boots and fishnet tights. Her dress featured an external plastic bleeding heart, and she selected a giant black curly-haired wig to complete the look.
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2004, Witch
Heidi Klum took on one of the most common Halloween costumes — but did so in a completely unique way. Klum stuck with a red palette for her witch look, wearing a red hat, long red wig, tattered bodysuit with a train, and a skeleton hanging off her back. Klum topped off her look with fiery eye makeup and a pair of vampire fangs.
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2003, Golden Alien
For her 2003 Halloween Party, Heidi Klum took an out-of-this-world approach to her costume. Klum arrived dressed as a golden alien, covering herself in gold body glitter, fake teeth and sporting extravagant ponytails. Her costume also consisted of gold armor that made it look like was heading into a battle between space aliens and humans.
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2001, Lady Godiva
In 2001, Klum made a grand entrance at her Halloween party dressed as Lady Godiva. She arrived on horseback, wearing a floor-length blonde wig and a sparkly white bodysuit, offering a more modest interpretation of Lady Godiva, who is traditionally depicted with only her hair for coverage. The costume was completed with a touch of blood at her mouth for a spooky effect. Her then-husband, Ric Pipino, accompanied her as a knight in shining armor.
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2002, Betty Boop
In 2002, Klum transformed into Betty Boop for her third annual Halloween party. Her costume included a black wig styled with Betty’s iconic curls and makeup that emphasized a cartoon-like appearance. As she has with other costumes, she gave the classic character a Halloween twist by wearing fangs beneath her red lipstick. Her then-husband, Ric Pipino, accompanied her dressed as Elvis Presley.
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2000, Dominatrix
In 2000, Klum embraced Halloween in a leather ensemble with a light S&M aesthetic. The dominatrix-style outfit featured shiny patent leather, spike-adorned accessories and shimmering bangle bracelets. She styled her hair in two long braids reminiscent of Pippi Longstocking. The look marked the beginning of Klum’s tradition of wearing increasingly elaborate Halloween costumes.