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Dior, Chanel, Balenciaga – fashion’s the word in Apple TV+’s The New Look; series’ costume designer on capturing the looks of the 1940s
- The New Look on Apple TV+ depicts the feud between French fashion designers Christian Dior and Coco Chanel, set against the backdrop of Nazi-occupied Paris
- The show’s costume designer, Karen Muller Serreau, explains how her team captured the look and feel of the period as well as the rivalry between the designers
Reading Time:3 minutes
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The latest television show to live rent-free in our heads is Apple TV+’s The New Look, out on February 14.
The series, set in Nazi-occupied Paris during the second world war (1939-1945), follows one of the biggest feuds in fashion history – namely, the one between French fashion designers Christian Dior, played by Ben Mendelsohn, and Coco Chanel (Juliette Binoche).
Written and directed by Todd Kessler, the show has an all-star cast that includes John Malkovich and Game of Thrones star Maisie Williams.
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The other star of the show, of course, is the costumes – which are within the realm of costume designer Karen Muller Serreau, who has worked on various projects like The Serpent Queen, Now You See Me and Stillwater.
UK-born but having lived extensively in Paris, she says: “Being English but with an almost native feel for France, my experience has given me a wider vision of form and style.”
The New Look follows Chanel’s alleged involvement with the Nazis in Paris as well as the arrest and deportation to a concentration camp of Dior’s sister (Williams), and also features creatives from that time, such as artist Pablo Picasso and movie star Arletty.
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