Summary
- Apple TV+ unveils first look images for Todd A. Kessler’s historical drama The New Look, centered on Christian Dior’s rise to fame and featuring fashion icons Coco Chanel and Pierre Balmain.
- The series, shot exclusively in Paris, offers a sneak peek at its talented ensemble cast, including Ben Mendelsohn as Dior, Juliette Binoche as Chanel, and Maisie Williams as Catherine Dior.
- Grammy Award winner Jack Antonoff produces the soundtrack, featuring contemporary covers of early to mid-twentieth-century songs by artists such as Florence Welch and Lana Del Rey.
Apple TV+ has unveiled the first look images for Todd A. Kessler’s anticipated historical drama, The New Look. The World War II-set series, shot exclusively in Paris, is centered on legendary fashion designer Christian Dior’s rise to fame and follows stories of his contemporaries and rivals, including esteemed names in the fashion world like Coco Chanel, Pierre Balmain, and Cristóbal Balenciaga.
The first look images, which you can see below, provide a sneak peek at the series’ talented ensemble cast. Emmy Award winner Ben Mendelsohn (Bloodline) stars as Christian Dior, Academy Award winner Juliette Binoche (The English Patient) portrays Coco Chanel, Maisie Williams (Game of Thrones) as Catherine Dior, John Malkovich (Dangerous Liaisons) as Lucien Lelong, Emily Mortimer (The Newsroom) as Elsa Lombardi, and Claes Bang (The Northman) as Spatz.
Grammy Award winner Jack Antonoff produces The New Look‘s soundtrack, which features contemporary covers of popular early to mid-twentieth-century songs performed by artists including Bleachers, Florence Welch, Lana Del Rey, Matty Healy (The 1975), and Nick Cave.
The New Look is produced by Apple Studios and DB-AK Productions. It is written, executive produced, and directed by Kessler. Lorenzo di Bonaventura and Mark Baker serve as executive producers.
Christian Dior’s Legacy Examined On-Screen
The New Look‘s titles is a reference to the designer’s 1947 debut collection (which he released a year after creating his own namesake label) which steered women’s fashion in a new direction, steering from the more comfortable and flowing pieces popularized by designers like Chanel, to a celebration of opulence and more feminine silhouettes. Inspired by true events, The New Look is written, executive produced and directed by Kessler, who recently spoke to Vogue about bringing Dior’s story to the screen:
“It’s a story that hasn’t been told,” Kessler told the publication. “Monsieur Dior’s personal story inspired people that it was ok to dream once more and it inspires me that he did it through creation, that creation is survival.”
The New Look, a must watch for history and fashion lovers, makes its global debut with the first three episodes on Wednesday, February 14, 2024 on Apple TV+, followed by one episode every Wednesday through April 3. You can read the synopsis for the New Look below:
“Set against the World War II Nazi occupation of Paris, “The New Look” focuses on the pivotal moment in the twentieth century when the French city led the world back to life through its fashion icon Christian Dior. As Dior rises to prominence with his groundbreaking, iconic imprint of beauty and influence, Chanel’s reign as the world’s most famous fashion designer is put into jeopardy. 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.”
Besides Kessler’s anticipated The New Look, the revered designer’s life, and contributions to fashion and his everlasting legacy, have been explored on screen through documentaries including Dior and I and Christian Dior: The Man Behind the Myth. In September, news circulated that César-winning actor and producer Elsa Zylberstein was working on a Dior biopic, written by The Hookup Plan‘s Julien Teisseire.
