Heidi Klum Stuns in Out-of-This-World E.T. Halloween Costume
Heidi Klum, the reigning "Queen of Halloween," brought her A-game again this year, debuting an E.T.-inspired costume that stunned fans at her annual Halloween bash. The 51-year-old model arrived at New York’s Hard Rock Hotel, making a dramatic entrance with her face framed in the neck of an animatronic E.T. head that blinked and moved. Elevated on a special stage with a smoke machine adding effect, Klum appeared to be walking around on E.T.'s famously stumpy legs, completing the look with an exaggerated wig, dress, and bright lipstick—a nod to the scene in E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial when Drew Barrymore’s character, Gertie, gives the alien a human disguise.
Klum's husband, Tom Kaulitz, joined her in a matching E.T. costume, sans wig, creating a quirky his-and-hers ensemble (despite Steven Spielberg’s assertion that E.T. is gender-neutral). Speaking with the New York Times before the party, Klum revealed the technical complexity of her costume. Her animatronic headpiece, which weighed about five pounds, and glowing fingertips were controlled remotely by a crew member. Anticipating the challenges of getting in and out of the costume, Klum planned to wear an adult diaper, quipping, “Maybe I never need to use it, but at least I don’t have to think about it.” She kept fans guessing about the final look, sharing costume close-ups and livestreaming her preparations on Amazon Live earlier that day.
Hollywood prosthetic designer Mike Marino, Klum’s longtime collaborator, helped create the intricate look. Marino, who initially hesitated due to the complexity, eventually agreed after Klum’s persistent requests. He described this costume as “probably the most complicated we’ve ever done,” adding, “Her whole face and body are glued on, and it takes months to build and design.”
Since her first Halloween bash in 2000, Klum’s parties have gained a reputation for imaginative costumes. In recent years, she has wowed with outfits as varied as a robot, a werewolf, Princess Fiona from Shrek, and a giant earthworm in 2022. This year’s guests included Questlove as a mad hatter, Haley Kalil as the Corpse Bride, Bethenny Frankel as Wonder Woman, and influencer Zach Justice as Colonel Sanders, who arrived with contortionist Sofie Dossi curled up in an oversized egg dressed as a chicken.
Although Klum’s E.T. costume was a showstopper, she wasn’t alone in the extraterrestrial theme. Janelle Monáe had posted her own take on E.T. a day earlier, featuring a glowing fingertip and collaboration with special effects artists for her appearance on The Jennifer Hudson Show.
Read More: Fashion Models Sidestepped as AI Glam Bots Take Center Stage: "It's About Faster Content Creation"
