Apple TV+ has given a series order to The New Look, a drama that will follow the careers of world renowned fashion designers Christian Dior and Coco Chanel, set in World War II-era Paris. Emmy winner Ben Mendelsohn and Academy Award winner Juliette Binoche are set to star as Dior and Chanel respectively.
The New Look is said to be inspired by the true events surrounding Dior’s rise to prominence as a fashion designer, as he ultimately dethrones Chanel’s place at the top of the Paris fashion world with his groundbreaking designs. The series is also said to feature other big names in the world of fashion at the time, like Pierre Balmain, Cristóbal Balenciaga, Hubert de Givenchy, and many more.
While Dior and Chanel’s influence on the world of fashion is undeniable, to many their legacy is tainted by their involvement in Nazi-occupied France. Channel was a vocal antisemite and even has a section in her Wikipedia page titled “Activity as Nazi agent”. Meanwhile, Dior first gained prominence as a designer by designing dresses for the wives of Nazi officers in occupied France. To what degree these actions will be addressed in the show is currently unknown.
The New Look comes from Bloodline co-creator Todd A. Kessler in association with Apple Studios. The series will be written, directed, and executive produced by Kessler, and is the first product of a new producing partnership between Kessler and Lorenzo di Bonaventura, with Mark A. Baker will also serving as a producer on the series.
The New Look will be seeing a reunion between Mendelsohn and Kessler, as Mendelsohn had an Emmy-winning role in Kessler’s show Bloodline. Mendelsohn will next be seen in the film The Marsh King’s Daughter with Daisy Ridley, and the Marvel Studios Disney+ series Secret Invasion with Samuel L. Jackson. Binoche won an Academy Award for her supporting role in The English Patient and was also nominated for her starring role in Chocolat. She can next be seen in the HBO Max crime drama limited series The Staircase.
The New Look is expected to begin filming in Paris this spring, and will stream exclusively on Apple TV+.