You’ll Never Guess Which A-List Star Is Behind This Wild Costume at Heidi Klum’s Halloween Bash

Twenty-five years into hosting Halloween’s most scrutinized costume party, how do you keep people guessing? Apparently, you give them the finger. Five of them, actually. Somewhere inside the enormous, bloodied severed hand that arrived at Cathédrale in New York City on October 31 was Heidi Klum, celebrating the 25th anniversary of Heidi Klum Halloween. You would be forgiven for needing a minute to find her.

Photo Credit: Noam Galai/Getty Images for Heidi Klum

For the milestone, the supermodel turned herself into a supersized version of her own left hand, complete with exposed bones, a gruesome wrist wound, and a particularly personal accessory: a re-creation of her wedding ring from husband Tom Kaulitz. Because even a dismembered hand deserves diamonds.

Created with her longtime collaborator Mike Marino, the costume committed to the anatomy and the absurdity in equal measure. Klum’s legs became two of the fingers, finished with red-painted nails, while gold rings added a little glamour to the gore. Her face emerged beside the bloody gash at the wrist—the small giveaway that an internationally recognizable supermodel was, in fact, somewhere in there.

“My left hand inspired me,” Klum said on the carpet.

A refreshingly simple explanation for a deeply unhinged outfit. We respect it.

Photo Credit: Noam Galai/Getty Images for Heidi Klum

Naturally, a costume this elaborate required an entrance to match. Helpers dressed in yellow hazmat suits and face masks escorted Klum down the carpet, turning her arrival into something between a crime scene investigation and a fashion presentation. Subtlety has never been the assignment at this particular party.

Inside Cathédrale, the guest list gave the giant hand plenty of famous people to wave at. Questlove, Neil Patrick Harris, David Burtka, Andrew Rannells, Madelaine Petsch, Tramell Tillman, Paris Jackson, Taylor Momsen, Madison Bailey, Lux Pascal, and Offset were among the names on hand for the anniversary celebration. Ice-T and Coco, Eric McCormack, Carolyn Murphy, Karen Mulder, and Valentina Sampaio also joined the festivities.

For the milestone edition, Klum reunited with Tao Group Hospitality, continuing a relationship that has been part of her Halloween celebrations for more than two decades. Its French-inspired Cathédrale restaurant at Moxy East Village served as the setting for an evening in which dressing for dinner took on a very different meaning.

Photo Credit: Noam Galai/Getty Images for Heidi Klum

The drinks followed the host’s lead. Presenting partner Apothic served its signature Apothic Red alongside limited-edition Apothic x Heidi Klum Type ‘A’ Blood Bags, giving guests a suitably macabre way to get into the spirit. At a party hosted by a severed hand, a conventional wineglass might have felt a little underdressed.

Butterfinger returned as a title sponsor for the third consecutive year, bringing back the Butterfinger-Tini along with its classic candy offerings. The collaboration had also extended beyond the guest list: throughout October, fans could order a limited-time Heidi Klum Halloween Butterfinger Pizza at Crazy Pizza’s New York City location. Halloween is, after all, an excellent time to suspend judgment about what constitutes dinner.

Photo Credit: Noam Galai/Getty Images for Heidi Klum

Dos Equis, the evening’s official beer, served Lager Especial with a signature “Naked or Dressed” offering. The brand’s Most Interesting Man in the World also made an appearance, although he faced considerable competition for that distinction from the woman dressed as her own appendage.

That is the peculiar pleasure of Heidi Klum Halloween. The room can be packed with recognizable faces, but the person everyone came to see makes it her mission to be almost impossible to recognize.

Twenty-five years in, she still knows how to keep everyone in the palm of her hand.

Photo Credit: Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images for Heidi Klum

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