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Quick Answer: The New Look is an Apple Original and can only be streamed with an Apple TV+ subscription. The new series airs every Wednesday, starting Feb. 14th
The story of Dior and Chanel isn’t as black and white as history might tell. Or, at least, in the new Apple TV+ original series, it appears that way.
Lensed through the lives of fashion’s most prominent figures during the turbulent rise of Nazi Germany, The New Look sees Christian Dior (played by Ben Mendelsohn) navigate these shades of grey as he fights for his life and daughter Catherine (played by Maisie Williams). Amidst the turmoil, he seeks support from an unintended rival, Coco Chanel (played by Juliette Binoche), who’s in the midst of her own battle, treading the line between survivor and Nazi sympathizer.
The series, as Bonaventura foretells, is complex and everchanging. As the first episode unfolds, audiences quickly understand the dynamic between these two titans. “Their philosophy of design is a collision course,” Bonaventura depicts. “His is sumptuous and extravagant. And her whole reason she rose to such prominence was by stripping down, if you would, what women wore. So there is a clash of philosophy or art that also existed, so those two characters have to live together.”
For lovers, historians, and the curious alike, Apple’s new show is a great portrayal of the nuances history has on fashion and peer behind the curtain of its two largest architects. Here’s how to watch the new series online.
The New Look is an Apple Original series that can only be streamed through Apple TV+. A monthly subscription to will cost as little as $9.99/month (the new price from the previous $6.99/month rate). You can sign up for the streaming service through your Apple ID and start watching the series on your device through the Apple TV app.
How To Watch The New Look For Free
Apple TV+ offers a 7-day free trial before paying the monthly subscription fee. You can get the streamer free when signing up for your subscription plan, whether streaming on an iPhone, iPad, Apple TV 4K or through your smart TV. No contract is required, and you can cancel your Apple TV+ free trial anytime within the week without charge.
Get Apple TV+ Free Through T-Mobile: You might not know, but you can get your Apple TV+ subscription for free through T-Mobile’s Go5G Next and Go5G Plus plans. You’ll need a T-Mobile account, and you can check to see if your plan is eligible for the Apple TV+ promotion online. But with hundreds of shows and movies, getting Apple TV+ for free sounds like a great deal.
Get Apple TV+ at Best Buy: Another great Apple TV+ deal online is scoring three months free through Best Buy — no strings attached. Offer is available for new and qualified users only, and regular payments of $9.99/month resume once the three months are over.
The New Look: Episodes, Cast, Reviews
Apart from Ben Mendelsohn, Juliette Binoche, and Maisie Williams, other notable cast members include John Malkovich as Lucien Lelong, Emily Mortimer as Elsa Lombardi, and Thomas Poitevin as Pierre Balmain.
The series consists of 10 episodes, each developing the context of Dior and Chanel’s relationship with each other and the wider context of their place within fashion. “To really understand Christian Dior, it’s crucial to understand Coco Chanel’s influence,” Todd A. Kessler, the series creator, executive producer, writer, and director, tells Rolling Stone.
To be clear, this series is not the highfalutin look at luxury you might hope it is. Though fashion moments exist within the show’s context, like the making of Dior’s famous Bar Jacket, because of its realistic approach, it’s very much an “emotionally charged, compelling, thrilling storytelling drawing on history,” as Kessler notes. “These names — Dior, Balenciaga, Chanel, Balmain, Givenchy — are still very relevant in our lives, and they’re very present. Whether we know the stories of the [designers] or not, this series, for the first time, will be exposing the audience to those individuals.”
While Ben Mendelsohn wears his heart on his leave as Christian Dior, Juliette Binoche, who plays Coco Chanel in the series, depicts not only a self-made woman of stature who rose to power through her skill but also the complexities of someone quite fragile despite her formidable appearance. “It was very important to understand what Coco Chanel meant, not only to the fashion world but what she meant to Christian Dior, what it meant for him to take that seat from her. Then it all fed back into the storytelling of what choices and decisions they each made during the Nazi occupation.” Throughout the first half of the series, we can see her crumble in fear and exhaustion to maintain it all, both her beloved home in Paris and her company.
“We have been working on this for seven years. It took a long time to do the research to feel confident that we could tell the story as comprehensively and as in an entertaining way as possible,” Kessler notes, executive producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura adding, “The obligation when you craft something about real people is, or at least we feel, that we’re supposed to show them in their full light. So you know, both in the wonders of their creations and the blemishes and the heartbreak of their lives.”
