The name Christian Dior isn't the first that comes to mind when thinking about World War II – this may change with the upcoming Apple TV+ show The New Look. We've got everything you need to know about the upcoming series, including the release date, cast & interesting background info before you get started with the show. History class is in session!
How many Frenchmen does it take to defend Paris? I don't know. No one's ever tried it.
I know, I know: War certainly isn't a nice topic to think about, so forgive me for the joke in an effort to ease any anxieties. The upcoming show from Apple TV+, The New Look, takes place during WWII in the occupied city of Paris, but tells a different story than you would typically expect in a war-torn setting. If you want a classic war story, check out Masters of the Air.
In The New Look, we follow Christian Dior and his peers Coco Chanel and Balenciaga navigating difficult times during and after the war. Designing the post-war look, becoming the icon we still know today and giving women the opportunity to embrace beauty and elegance after years of deprivation: That's the New Look by Christian Dior.
The New Look On Apple TV+ | Release Date & Trailer
The New Look premieres on Apple TV+ on February 14, 2024, with three episodes. It will have ten episodes in total, with new ones releasing each week on Wednesday. And we'll get the season finale on April 3, 2024.
Also, a second season is already in development, which means: Brace yourselves for a cliffhanger in the season finale.
The New Look On Apple TV+ | Cast
Fashion icon Christian Dior will be portrayed by the wonderful Ben Mendelsohn, who has nailed basically every role he's ever done, so there's already good reason to be hyped.
He's joined by Juliette Binoche as Coco Chanel and John Malkovich as Lucien Lelong. Nuno Lopes takes on the part of Cristóbal Balenciaga and Glenn Close portrays Carmel Snow, the legendary editor-in-chief of Harper's Bazaar.
The cast also includes Emily Mortimer, Hugo Becker, Claes Bang, Thomas Poitevin, Zabou Breitman, Yahli Cohen and, most importantly: Maise Williams. Why most importantly? Because she plays Catherine Dior, Christian's sister, who deserves way more recognition than she normally gets.
The New Look's Plot And Historical Accuracy
Speaking of Catherine Dior: We don't yet know if she will be the prominent character she deserves to be in The New Look. At its core, this is a show about Christian Dior and his story, but that doesn't mean she'll have to be overlooked. She was a resistance fighter, who suffered torture and survived a concentration camp.
The plot will instead revolve around Christian Dior's rise to fame and his part in making Paris the fashion capital it is today, despite the horrific times he (and his contemporaries) had to navigate.
Historically speaking, we already know what happens to Dior and how successful the brand became, but the specific story they're telling here is of the legendary "New Look" collection. This was a collection released shortly after World War II in 1947. And for the first time since the war began, it gave women inspiration. The ultra-feminine style was a repudiation of war, and the squalid conditions it had left France in. In a sense, the "New Look" collection gave the woman of Paris permission to be extravagant again.
The specifics of this journey will, most likely, be a little bit more dramatic and thus, more suited for television in the Apple TV+ version of events. At the end of the day, it is still a true story and Apple promises am "emotionally thrilling series" and a "shocking story."