Heidi Klum finally unveils 2023 Halloween costume and it’s not what we expected

Model debuted long-awaited Halloween costume after six-hour transformation

Heidi Klum finally unveiled her 2023 Halloween costume and it’s not what people were expecting: a peacock.

Ever since the year 2000, the Making The Cut co-host has thrown an annual Halloween bash and never shows up in a look that’s anything less than extraordinary. This year, the supermodel donned a giant peacock costume with a little help from 10 performers from the iconic circus troupe, Cirque du Soleil. The acrobats were the ones who brought her elaborate wings to life.

The former Project Runway host was spotted sporting faux feathers on the red carpet outside the nightclub Marquee in the Chelsea neighbourhood of New York City.

On the carpet, the model and the acrobats were seen forming a human pyramid. As acrobats twisted and contorted and flew into the air, she remained concealed by feathers on the ground until the acrobats revealed that the costume had giant wings.

Crawling through the acrobat's legs, the model reportedly emerged at the center and stood on top of the thighs of one of the acrobats. The model embodied the face and neck of the peacock, donning a peacock headpiece, designed by longtime collaborator makeup artist Bill Corso, and a prosthetic beak that tied the group costume together.

Her team painted her hands in shades of blues and greens - like the plumage of a peacock - in order to conceal any evidence of human skin. The model also chose to wear shoes that resembled ballet slippers, which according to the New York Times were meant to offer her “a good grip” to perform the prepared stunt.

Costume designer Marie Chantale Vaillancourt told the outlet the acrobats were dressed in custom patterned green and blue unitards with individual Swarovski crystals applied to each suit. Cirque du Soleil’s in-house team reportedly designed and printed the unitards.

Klum’s husband Tom Kaulitz was also in costume, with the 34 year old opting for a gigantic white peacock egg to match the theme.

The model explained to the outlet that she’d started working on the project with Cirque du Soleil during the summer after familiarising herself with the troupe through her work hosting Germany’s Next Top Model.

Earlier on 31 October, the model told viewers on an Amazon Prime live stream that the pressure to outdo herself this year was “huge.”

Last year, the supermodel turned heads she showed up at her annual festivities donning a worm costume. The eerily realistic costume was part of a couple’s costume with husband Tom Kaulitz, who was dressed as a fisherman – although the model said the costume was “claustrophobic”.

In 2019, she dressed up as an alien, while the year before she dressed up head-to-toe in green make-up and prosthetics as Princess Fiona from Shrek. Then in 2017, she dressed up as one of the werewolves from Michael Jackson’s iconic “Thriller” music video, clad in faux fur and a letterman jacket. The year before, she impressively showed up with an army of clones, who donned prosthetics to look like Klum.