9 months of crafting, 30 FX artists, and countless hours of fine-tuning—and no, we’re not talking about the preparation for a horror movie character. This was the extraordinary effort behind Heidi Klum’s show-stopping costume for her annual Halloween bash. The German-American model and TV host never fails to wow the media with her extravagant, elaborate costumes. Famed as the ‘Queen of Halloween,’ she transforms every year into creations that continue to set new standards for celebrity costumes. Inspired by her childhood love for the classic film, E.T., Heidi alongside her husband, Tom Kaulitz, went as the iconic aliens from the film this year. Their costumes went beyond simply paying homage, also capturing the nostalgia of this 80’s hit film with full-body prosthetics and astonishing details.

 

Held at the Hard Rock Hotel in New York, her Halloween extravaganza hosted a myriad of A-list celebrities and influencers alike. Among the guest list was model Alex Consani who brought a touch of humor and whimsy, fully committing to her transformation as Gru from Despicable Me. It was a night where high fashion and playful creativity coincided, in true Heidi fashion. Looking back at previous years, it’s clear that Heidi’s elaborate approach to Halloween has set the tone for her guests, inspiring them to similarly embrace the spirit of bold and over-the-top costumes.

 

Heidi does not shy away from embodying the theatricality of Halloween and it certainly brings about the question of why the model has such a take on Halloween. As Lindsay Lohan famously said in Mean Girls, “Halloween is the one night a year when a girl can dress like a total slut and no other girls can say anything about it.” This take is certainly present in Halloween culture, with social media trends often emphasizing revealing costumes, such as TikTok captions like, “No revenge, because my Halloween costume is smaller than…”

 

Of course, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with choosing a revealing costume—it’s an empowering choice for many and a staple of modern Halloween fun. Though what makes Heidi’s approach so interesting is that, as a model, she already has countless opportunities to flaunt her figure in her day-to-day work. This is something that she emphasized in a podcast when she was asked about her unique and bold choices in Halloween costumes. For her, Halloween is an invitation to step beyond what her work already provides her and to explore other elements of Halloween. It’s a reminder that Halloween is, above all, a fun day of self expression.