“The New Look” Episodes 1-3 Review

Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)

Set largely during the Nazi occupation of France in the 1940s, the 2024 series “The New Look” follows the trials and triumphs of Christian Dior, who rises from obscurity to become the toast of the high-fashion world.

Created by Todd A. Kessler, “The New Look” is a heady mix of art, war, and fashion during the times of Nazi occupation, inspired by real people and events. Ben Mendelsohn plays Christian Dior, who works under French couturier Lucien Lelong before ascending to stardom as a designer, eventually surpassing the reputation of Coco Chanel (Juliette Binoche). But it’s not all clothes, beauty, and frills for these designers, who despite living in their own bubble, must also face fear, intimidation, and desperation that comes with being under the scrutiny of Hitler’s Gestapo in the 1940s.

“Darling, please. I don’t care about other designers. They bore me. Always have.” – Coco Chanel. Titled “Just You Wait And See,” episode one of “The New Look” begins in 1955 with Coco slighting Christian while being interviewed by journalists about her comeback. Viewers are then treated to a romantically shot display of Dior’s work at the Sorbonne (Paris University), models draped in exquisite Dior dresses walk around as a nostalgic French song plays in the background. The scene does ample justice to establish how popular Dior was at the time. But soon, the story goes back to the grim days of World War II, to showcase Dior’s turbulent ascent to fame firsthand.

The cinematography vividly captures the clashing worlds of the rich drinking their champagne, attending lavish soirees with unlimited food, while common French citizens starve in long lines for their rations while the Gestapo keep an eye on them. Christian Dior has his feet dipped on both sides, while he busily designs fancy ball gowns at work, primarily for the wives of wealthy Nazi officers, he also provides financial support and refuge for his younger sister, Catherine (Maisie Williams), an active member of the French Resistance movement against the Germans. Every day, he fears for his sister’s safety.

Episodes 2 & 3 of “The New Look” are tense and frenzied installments that wholly focuses on two parallel subplots: one highlighting Christian’s desperate attempts to save his sister Catherine from Nazi clutches, while the other follows Coco Chanel’s entanglement with the oppressors. Claes Bang plays the dashingly intimidating Hans Von Dincklage AKA Spatz, who seduces Coco and gets her knee deep into murky dangerous dealings. Nazi officers swarm around these episodes, and the story steadily gets more intense as the plot progresses. While Christian is running out of time to rescue his sister, the clock is ticking for Coco to extricate herself from the Nazi web in which she is entangled.

Juliette Binoche entertainingly portrays the dichotomy of Coco Chanel, portraying her as both a vacuous, vain woman prone to trouble and a calculating, clever opportunist adept at navigating tricky situations. A friend describes her as ‘treacherous’ and they are quite right in their choice of words, even though she doesn’t seem like the kind at first. Emily Mortimer portrays Coco’s friend Elsa Lombardi, a flamboyant socialite with powerful connections that Coco attempts to leverage for her own benefit. Ben Mendelsohn as Christian Dior seems to be a far more straightforward person, with a kind heart and his brotherly concern for Catherine becomes the highlight of episodes 2 & 3, where he practically goes door-to-door looking for help to save his sister.

The makeup and styling department have done an excellent job transforming Maisie Williams into Catherine; she looks every bit the working-class French girl when introduced. However, Maisie appears to be almost three decades younger than Ben Mendelsohn (which she actually is), creating a dynamic that leans more towards a father-daughter relationship rather than that of siblings.

So far, the first three episodes have exceeded my expectations. “The New Look” initially seemed like a series that would focus more on the glamour, beauty, and facade of the fashion world. Instead, it’s a gripping war drama that explores how war consumes the lives of everybody in different ways.

You can watch “The New Look” on Apple TV+

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