Medusa

Happy Halloween! It’s not officially All Hallows’ Eve until Heidi Klum unveils her costume, and tonight, the supermodel debuted her highly anticipated look in New York City. Drumroll, please: For her 24th annual Heidiween party, Klum slithered onto the Hard Rock Hotel red carpet dressed as… Medusa! “I look forward to Halloween all year,” Klum told Vogue shortly before arriving at the event. “I have been doing this for 24 years, and hope I can do it forever. Every year, I get more inspired and more enthusiastic. It is just a perfect day to be silly, dress up, dance with friends, be creative, and eat candy!”

Year after year, Klum keeps fans guessing as to what she’ll dress up as: She has arrived as Jessica Rabbitt, a peacock, E.T., and a notoriously-creepy worm. This year, she switched things up yet again, and was inspired to reinterpret a mythological Greek figure. “I wanted to explore the classic monsters of history, and reimagine one in a modern way,” says Klum. “Medusa stood out to me as truly iconic—mysterious yet ferocious. The legend of her turning humans to stone has fascinated audiences for centuries. In museums, countless paintings and sculptures depict her haunting power, a testament to how terrifying and compelling she remains.”

The hand-painted costume—which required nine hours in the makeup chair—features extraordinary details, like moving mechanical snakes placed atop Klum’s head. “I love that all of the snakes move independently—they look so real,” says Klum. “I also have a custom split snake tongue that is just next level. I love a challenge, so I am always striving to outdo myself from the years before.”