Set against the backdrop of the Nazi invasion of Paris in 1940 and based on real-life events, The New Look shows how fashion designer Christian Dior (Ben Mendelsohn) dethroned the grand dame of fashion Coco Chanel (Juliette Binoche).
It focuses on the pivotal moment when Paris breathed life back into the world through its ground-breaking designers and shows how the new kid on the block Dior rose to fame, fending off rivals such as Givenchy, Yves Saint Laurent, and Balenciaga as well as Chanel.
Here's everything you need to know about The New Look on Apple TV Plus...
The New Look release date
The New Look premiered worldwide on Apple TV Plus on Wednesday, February 14, 2024. All 10 episodes have now aired and you can watch the complete box set on Apple TV Plus.
Is there a trailer for The New Look?
Yes a trailer for The New Look has been released by Apple TV+ and it's wonderful to see the fashionistas in their fabulous creations and see what the wartime thriller is about. Take a look below...
The New Look plot
The New Look is set during World War Two, during the Nazi occupation of France, The Apple TV Plus drama charts Christian Dior’s (Ben Mendelsohn) meteoric rise to fame and how he helped to lift spirits around the world with his groundbreaking designs.
Inspired by true events the drama series shows how he brought Coco Chanel’s (Juliet Binoche) impressive reign to an end and dominated world fashion in the decade after the war. Interwoven are the stories of Dior’s many rivals, including Pierre Cardin and Balmain.
The interwoven saga follows the surprising stories of Dior’s contemporaries and rivals from Chanel to Pierre Balmain, Cristóbal Balenciaga and more; and, provides a stunning view into the atelier, designs and clothing created by Christian Dior through collaboration with the House of Dior.
"Paris in the 1940s was a time of unprecedented horrors, when the lives of Christian Dior and Coco Chanel, the actual people behind the iconic brands, were threatened," says The New Look creator Todd A. Kessler, who reunites with Emmy-winning Mendelsohn after working on US series Bloodline.
"These names have been with us for generations, whether in store windows or magazine adverts. But the details of what defined them in their personal lives, the forces that shaped them, and the specific choices that Dior, Chanel, Balenciaga and Balmain made as they faced the darkest hours of the four-year Nazi occupation of Paris, are what led to a cultural revolution that brought spirit and life back to a world decimated by World War Two."
The New Look cast — Ben Mendelsohn as Christian Dior
Ben Mendelsohn plays the emerging king of fashion, Christian Dior whose iconic designs left his rivals in the shade. Ben played Warren Murphy in Neighbours from 1986 to 1987 and then went on to star as Rob in The Secret Life of Us in 2005. He’s had roles in The Dark Knight Rises, Ready Player One, and Captain Marvel. He also plated Orson Krennic in Rogue One.
Juliette Binoche plays Coco Chanel in The New Look
Juliette Binoche plays fashion powerhouse Coco Chanel famous for world-inspiring fashions and fragrances. Many have questioned her role in the war. Could she have been a collaborator?
* Juliette Binoche was only 23 when she starred in the 1988 movie The Unbearable Lightness of Being and then went on to play Cathy in the 1992 adaptation of Wuthering Heights. She won an Oscar for best supporting actress, playing Hana in the 1996 film The English Patient alongside Ralph Fiennes and Kristin Scott Thomas, and won our hearts as lovable chocolatier Vianne in the film Chocolat in 2000. She starred in BBC1 drama The Victim back in 2019.
Glenn Close as Carmel Snow
Glenn Close plays Carmel Snow, the legendary editor-in-chief of the iconic fashion magazine Harper’s Bazaar who coiend the phrase 'The New Look' to desribe the postwar era of fas hion.
"Carmel Snow was a force to be reckoned with and I loved playing her," says Fatal Attraction star Glenn Close, 76. "I learned how important she was, and how she was the one who said this is the “new look!”. That phrase crowned Christian Dior’s collection and defined the entire post-war fashion era. The truth is, I would do anything for Todd after experiencing his brilliance as a writer/director on Damages. I was thrilled when he asked me to step into the daunting shoes of Carmel Snow, and I only hope I do justice to one of the truly iconic, game-changing figures in the history of fashion."
Who else is starring in The New Look?
There's a terrific cast list for The New Look including Maisie Williams as Christian's courageous younger sister Catherine Dior who is part of the French resistance during the war.
John Malkovich as the respected French couturier Lucien Lelong who tries to deal with the Nazis, Emily Mortimer is Coco’s friend, confidante and sartorial inspiration Elsa Lombardi, Nuno Lopz is Cristóbal Balenciaga and Claes Bang plays Nazi operative Hans von Dincklage, aka Spatz.
The real Christian Dior and Coco Chanel
Christian Dior was born in 1905 in Granville, France. He was employed as a fashion designer when he was called up for military service but left the army in 1942 and joined the Lucien Lelong fashion house. Lelong and other designers fought to keep the industry going during the war, which meant Dior had to design dresses for the wives of Nazi officers and French collaborators. He founded his own fashion house in 1946. His ‘New Look’ collection revolutionised women’s dresses and reestablished Paris as the centre of the fashion world. He died from a heart attack in October 1957.
Born Gabrielle Bonheur Chanel in 1883, ‘Coco’ created the Chanel brand and popularized sporty, casual chic after World War One. She also designed jewellery, handbags and perfumes. Before rising to fame she worked as a cabaret performer. Coco was very controversial as she was a Nazi sympathizer and had liaisons with a German diplomat but after the war Winston Churchill stepped in to ensure she wasn’t charged as a collaborator. Later documents show she collaborated directly with the Nazi intelligence service. Coco Chanel died in January 1971.
Behind the scenes and more on The New Look
The New Look is produced by Apple Studios and DB-AK Productions, and is written, executive produced and directed by Todd Kessler. Lorenzo di Bonaventura and Mark Baker also serve as executive producers.
The immersive and contemporary soundtrack for The New Look series is produced by Grammy Award winner Jack Antonoff, and features covers of popular early to mid-twentieth century songs performed by artists including Bleachers, Florence Welch, Lana Del Rey, Matty Healy (The 1975), Beabadoobee, Nick Cave, Perfume Genius and more.
* More top shows currently showing or upcoming on Apple TV Plus are below...
