Heidi Klum’s Grammys dress was literally a second skin.
The supermodel’s custom dress was created by Austrian designer Marina Holmanseder and was made from nude leather molded to the sculpt of Klum’s body.
Holmanseder shared a behind-the-scenes look at the creation of the dress on Instagram on Monday, showing the process from computer rendering to the 2026 Grammys red carpet.
To achieve the authentic Barbie look, the design team began by creating a custom sculpted mold of Klum’s body, including the bumps and curves from her neck to her knees, as well as her belly button.
Next, stretch the leather on the mold to shape it. I first wetted the skin and then used a hair dryer and leather processing tools to achieve the perfect fit.
The dress was made in two pieces, front and back, created one at a time in the studio and fastened with buckles for the final ensemble. The jagged edges on the neckline and hem were hand cut with a utility knife.
As a finishing touch, Holmanseder and her team tested paints that were color-matched to Klum’s skin tone to find the closest match. The leather was then sanded and painted with a high-gloss lacquer to create a reflective latex-like shine.
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 like a piece of art than a gown.”
“I always choose outfits that are eye-catching,” Klum, 52, told Billboard at Sunday’s awards ceremony.
The design was spot-on and instantly grabbed attention on the red carpet as the supermodel posed in the outfit. But walking was a different story, and she admitted she couldn’t sit in the dress.
“I’ll be the one standing there clapping the whole time,” Klum joked to Reuters. “Standing ovation all the way.”
However, she seems to have finally changed to something more comfortable, posting a video of herself eating a burger in a black strapless ensemble from inside the ceremony.
Holmanseder’s leather corsets and “vases” (the brand calls them dress-length pieces) are the designer’s signature. She has also designed custom looks for stars such as Kylie Jenner, Naomi Campbell, and Rihanna.
