In the first episode to the ninth episode, we felt like people who were happy after a war.
We were really happy when we finally saw the New Look!” explained Karen Muller Serreau, the costume designer, with a laugh. The new Apple TV+ series called “The New Look” takes its time to reveal Christian Dior’s revolutionary fashion line from 1947, debuting it only in the final episode.
Christian Dior’s “New Look” collection was a big deal after the Second World War. It marked the return of Paris as the fashion capital of the world. The first collection, named “Corolle,” had snatched waists and full skirts, and it became timeless with many imitations over the years. The show “The New Look” tells the story of these groundbreaking designs and the man behind them, Christian Dior, played by Ben Mendelsohn. The series also explores his creative contemporaries like Pierre Balmain, Cristóbal Balenciaga, and Coco Chanel, who revolutionized the fashion industry.
Dior had a dream to bring joy back to France with his designs. To achieve this dream, he decided to step out from the shadow of his longtime mentor, Lucien Lelong, and start his own fashion house. Going solo, his luxurious designs competed with Coco Chanel’s more simple aesthetic. The show depicts the survival of the fashion industry and how creative people find ways to continue. Muller Serreau, the costume designer, emphasized that the characters in the show always find a way to create, reflecting the challenging times during and after World War II.
The research process for “The New Look” involved exploring Dior’s archives for dresses and accessories. Muller Serreau collaborated with Dior’s archivists, aiming to reproduce specific looks to showcase the breadth and beauty of the “New Look” line. She also studied the work of other designers featured in the show to capture their aesthetics. The show aimed to be identifiable to modern viewers by selecting outfits with an ahead-of-their-time quality, like the contemporary “Jungle” look featuring a leopard print midi dress.
Muller Serreau’s perspective as a costumiere allowed her to reflect on the fashion and cultural trends of the era. During the war years, clothes were skimpier due to fabric shortages, and production was on a smaller scale. The show hints at the possibility of future episodes exploring Yves Saint Laurent’s time under Dior’s tutelage in the 1950s before revolutionizing womenswear with his famous “Le Smoking” suit.
While a second season is not confirmed yet, the first season only scratches the surface of Dior’s lasting impact on the fashion industry. The series offers a glimpse into the fashion eras of Dior and his contemporaries, providing fresh perspectives for potential exploration in future episodes.