Heidi Klum’s Grammys dress was a literal second skin.
The supermodel’s custom dress — by Austrian designer Marina Hoermanseder — was made from nude-colored leather molded onto a sculpted form of Klum’s body.
Hoermanseder shared a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the dress on Instagram Monday, showing the process of going from computer renderings to the Grammys 2026 red carpet.
To achieve the real-life Barbie look, the design team started with a custom-sculpted mold of Klum’s body from neck to knees — bumps and curves and bellybutton included.
Next, they stretched and shaped leather over the form, first wetting the skins and then using hairdryers and leather-working tools to achieve a perfect fit.
The dress was made in two parts, front and back, created one by one in the studio and then buckled together for the final ensemble. The jagged edges of the neckline and hem were cut by hand with a utility knife.
For the finishing touches, Hoermanseder and her team tested color-matched paints against Klum’s skin tone to find the closest match, then sanded and painted the leather with a high-gloss lacquer for a reflective, latex-like sheen.
Klum’s makeup artist, Linda Hay, designed her L’Oréal Paris beauty look to complement the design. “We wanted her makeup to mimic [the dress’s] curves and neutral palette,” Hay said in a press release, calling the look “more of an art piece than a gown.”
“I always go for a showstopper kind of an outfit,” Klum, 52, told Billboard at the awards show Sunday.
This design fit the bill, instantly turning heads on the red carpet as the supermodel posed in the poured-on look. Walking, however, was another story — and she admitted she couldn’t sit down in the dress.
“I’ll be the one clapping and standing the entire time,” Klum joked to Reuters. “Standing ovations all the way.”
She seemingly eventually changed into something more comfortable, however, posting a video from inside the ceremony eating a burger in a black strapless ensemble.
Hoermanseder’s leather corsets and “vases” (as the brand calls the dress-length pieces) are a signature for the designer. She’s also designed custom looks for stars like Kylie Jenner, Naomi Campbell and Rihanna.
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