Halloween Highlight: Heidi Klum

With Halloween right around the corner, we must look back at some of the most iconic costumes of the 21st century, particularly Heidi Klum’s eccentric outfits. Klum is widely known for her extravagant costumes and her annual Halloween bash, beginning back in 2000. Before her pivotal parties, adults and celebrities typically dressed lacklusterly, either slapping some cat ears on or adorning themselves with a witch hat. However, after her first party, the culture around Halloween was permanently altered. She goes beyond store-bought costumes, carefully concocting elaborate costumes with an array of moving parts that even put her renowned “Project Runway” looks to shame. Her four most famed looks emerged in 2001, 2011, 2022, and 2023.
Although her memorable costumes and party began only a year prior, her look in 2001 earned her credibility and the title of “Halloween Queen”. For this costume, she rented a large, brown horse to complete her look, which served as her transportation to and from the event. Sporting a floor-length blonde wig and a sparkly sheer bodysuit, she was able to knock the socks off of her competition and establish herself as a costume master.
A decade later, in 2011, Klum took her costume game to the next level when she arrived at her New York party in a near-perfect replica of our primate cousins, an ape. She was unrecognizable, covered head-to-toe in realistic faux fur and prosthetics. After gaining traction in the sphere of celebrity parties, she answered numerous demands for two parties. Her second party took place in Las Vegas, to which she attracted many celebrities stationed in Los Angeles. Klum wowed her crowd when she “stripped down” and arrived at the Venetian as a skinless cadaver. Despite her creepy appearance, retired Victoria’s Secret angel Heidi Klum was still rocking stilettos.
Jumping forward into the current decade, her 2022 look undoubtedly shocked the nation. The famous supermodel and America’s Got Talent judge scrapped her sexy costumes and arrived as a worm. Yes, you read that right, a worm. She ditched her Victoria’s Secret angel wings for something slightly more modest. Klum’s eyes and smile were the only part of her that were identifiable. After the two-year Halloween hiatus the COVID-19 pandemic caused, she made sure to make it her most memorable look yet!
Heidi Klum was faced with a challenge in 2023: how could she possibly out-do her life-sized, slightly disturbing, worm costume from the year prior? Her response took the world by surprise. This past year, she opted for a group costume, though not a typical one. She arrived at her Halloween hoopla in a giant egg. She “hatched” on the red carpet and emerged as a peacock with four Cirque du Soleil performers as her feathers. Even though the hostess’s face was entirely covered by a large, handcrafted beak and extraordinary makeup, the striking blues and greens caught the lights of the paparazzi flash, making her impossible to miss! Klum brought the performers with her wherever she went, ensuring that she truly was the life of the party.
As the host of the iconic Halloween party, Klum pulls out all the stops to ensure each costume is as, if not more, fantastical than the previous year. Her repertoire seems to be ever-expanding, as the themes of her costumes vary greatly, from spooky, to alluring, to straight-up wacky; Klum seems to have done it all. Her audience never knows what to expect from her, and I for one can’t wait to see her costume this year!