NEW YORK – Heidi Klum has been hosting the most lively Halloween party for over two decades. Although she is the undisputed “Queen of Halloween” in middle age, this was not always the case. The idea for the party came from the lack of other feasible hotspots, she says. She recalls driving through New York with a friend years ago and thinking, “I can’t believe this is Manhattan … nobody throws a really cool party like that?” “People want to be cool,” she says, “but I feel like then the coolness factor disappears and everyone has more fun when you’re dressed nicely. That’s a great shield.” Klum has led by example, completely transforming herself over the years with prosthetics, special effects makeup and, two years ago, an elaborate worm costume that quickly went viral. In honor of the spooky season, Klum lit up the New York skyline this week. The supermodel and “America’s Got Talent” judge kicked off preparations for her annual Halloween party Tuesday with a symbolic lighting of the Empire State Building. The NYC landmark will be illuminated mostly orange with a dusting of green to mimic a pumpkin. After pulling the giant lever to “light” the building and posing for cameras in a brilliantly colored orange getup, complete with Dorothy-style ruby slippers, Klum sat down with USA TODAY to talk all things Halloween and preview her legendary party. Even though some of the earliest outfits were simpler, Klum still remembers them with nostalgia. “I was more involved in a way, hooking it up myself,” she recalls, recounting how she hurried to a medical supply store to deconstruct a skeleton for one of her first disguises. Heidi Klum looks back on favorite costumes She claims that one of her favorite costumes was the “Planet of the Apes” outfit she wore in 2011. But, she admits, it was challenging to use the restroom, and there was a little fear at the end of the night when she couldn’t locate the prostheses’ removers. She claims that one of her favorite costumes was the “Planet of the Apes” outfit she wore in 2011. But, she admits, it was challenging to use the restroom, and there was a little fear at the end of the night when she couldn’t locate the prostheses’ removers. Klum quips, “I learned so many things along the way,” In addition, she takes pride in the year she arrived at the age of 90. https://www.today.com/popculture/news/heidi-klum-halloween-costume-2024-rcna178099 “It was when I turned 40 and people were like well you’re 40 when are you stopping modeling because you should hang up your wings and everything else,” Klum recalls. However, I thought, ‘Old? “Let me show you old.” She donned lenses that made her eyes appear older in order to finish the look. She claims that one of her favorite costumes was the “Planet of the Apes” outfit she wore in 2011. But, she admits, it was challenging to use the restroom, and there was a little fear at the end of the night when she couldn’t locate the prostheses’ removers. She then danced down the street as the werewolf from the music video for “Thriller” that year, and there was the multi-person Peacock costume. “I do love all of them, even my very first one,” Klum asserts. Daughter Leni cuddles Heidi Klum as she creeps into her Halloween party dressed as a fishing worm. Heidi Klum’s no-last-minute costume rule She claims that one of her favorite costumes was the “Planet of the Apes” outfit she wore in 2011. But, she admits, it was challenging to use the restroom, and there was a little fear at the end of the night when she couldn’t locate the prostheses’ removers. Despite occasional objections from her staff, she makes her outfit decision a year in advance and never changes her mind. She persisted in wearing the worm costume, for instance, despite opposition from some. “I essentially begin the following day (this year, after Halloween) … About her costume planning, she adds, “I’m racking my head. Why do people figure it out two days before? It is challenging. Although Klum said this year’s getup will take a lot of time, she usually chooses to have a big costume reveal at the celebration. “It’ll take a hot minute,” she admits. Around 11 a.m., Klum intends to begin getting ready for the carpet, with the goal of being ready by 9 p.m. With regard to her daughter’s decision to pursue a career in modeling, Klum remarks, “She’s been watching me her whole life, all my kids have,” “They’ve seen firsthand how it is and they are not afraid of the cameras.” Leni, Heidi Kluman’s daughter, is a lingerie model in a recent commercial picture session. She gave her kid the crucial piece of advise that she is free to say no. Klum thinks it’s crucial to finish a job once you commit to it, but she also wants her daughter to understand that “At the core, if there’s something you don’t want to do, you should be able to say no.”