The New Look ending explained: what happened in episode 10?

Ben Mendelsohn in The New Look
Ben Mendelsohn in The New Look. (Image credit: Apple TV plus)

The New Look on Apple TV Plus is a remarkable story following the lives of renowned fashion designers Christian Dior (Ben Mendelsohn) and Coco Chanel (Juliette Binoche) against the devastating backdrop of World War II - but what happened at the end of the series?

Here is a full recap of what happened in episode 10...

The final episode of The New Look sees Coco Chanel struggling in the aftermath of Elsa's tragic death, and as she mourns her best friend with the support of her nephew, Andre, Coco fights with Spatz. 

As well as grilling Spatz on where Elsa got the drugs from, Coco tells her former lover that he won't be getting a penny from her and that his blackmail won't work. However, Spatz hits back that he is a better friend than enemy, and wants his money otherwise he will tell Andre about her Nazi mission during the war. 

Meanwhile, Christian Dior is preparing for his first collection for the House of Dior and has reluctantly resorted to pinching seamstresses from other designers to get his collection finished in time for his first show. His bold move doesn't go down well with the other designers and Pierre Balmain in particular is fuming. He starts a petition against Dior, and it is left up to the head of the council and Dior's former boss, Lucien Lelong, to decide if Dior is punished for his actions. 

Meanwhile, Dior has more to worry about because Catherine is being honored for her bravery during the war. She receives a medal but worries that they shouldn't be celebrating when so many lost their lives. To take her mind off things Dior shows his sister her new perfume, but she struggles to see how perfume and new dresses can make up for the horror of war. Dior begs her to come back to Paris but she refuses and says she needs to finish their father's rose garden. 

Elsewhere, Lelong is meeting with Carmel Snow, who talks about Dior. She explains that he won't let her see his designs and Lelong explains about the seamstress drama... she says it is petty and that Dior shouldn't be thrown out of the council for doing something that all other designers would have done themselves, giving Lelong food for thought.  

When Dior gets back to his office all his seamstresses are walking out, they have been told if they don't leave their post at Dior then they will never work again, so they have no choice.

Glenn Close as Carmel Snow in The New Look.

Glenn Close as Carmel Snow in The New Look. (Image credit: Apple TV+)

Back in Switzerland, where Coco is still having to live, she is negotiating with the Wertheimers over getting her portion of the Chanel brand back. They negotiate through lawyers and nothing is resolved until Pierre comes to see her face to face later that evening and they have a frank conversation about their past. Coco tells him that however hard he has had it over the last few years she understands because that is what it is like to be a woman in business. 

As Coco walks out on Pierre her lawyer races after her and reveals that the Wertheimers have agreed to her requests and she is about to become one of the richest women in the world. 

But Coco's good mood is shattered when she learns that Barron, who she shopped to the police for being a Nazi collaborator to save her own skin, is to be put to trial and potentially executed for what he did. Andre is desperate to save Barron, considering he was the one who rescued him from a Nazi prisoner-of-war camp, but Coco knows this will expose her secrets and won't hear of it. 

But, as Coco and Andre argue over saving Barron, they find Spatz waiting for them at their hotel. He beats up Andre and threatens to kill him if Coco doesn't tell him about her mission as Agent Westminster for the Nazis. She is terrified that Andre is going to die and so confesses everything. Andre is sickened and walks out on his aunt, telling her he is going back to Paris without her, leaving Coco devastated. 

Juliette Binoche as Coco Chanel in "The New Look

Chanel's good fortune is soon shattered.  (Image credit: Apple TV Plus)

Back in Paris, Lelong visits the House of Dior and is impressed by its grandness. With his fondness for Dior shining through, he tells him he won't be punished for the seamstress drama and that they can all return for him to finish his collection. Dior is grateful and the team gets to work. 

Soon the collection is finished and as they have a dress rehearsal for the show, Dior is amazed that everything is finally coming together for his first solo collection. Back in the countryside, we see Catherine working in her father's garden once again, but this time she buries the photo of Lydia in the garden under a rose bush, seemingly putting her friend and the memories of her terrible death at the hands of the Nazis to rest at last. 

Elsewhere, Andre is speaking to the French police, giving a statement about Coco, and telling them where they can find her in Switzerland. Soon the police arrive at her hotel and arrest her, taking her back to Paris to go to court.  

Claes Bang and Juliette Binoche in The New Look

Spatz has been blackmailing Coco.  (Image credit: Apple TV plus)

The day of Dior's first show has arrived and he is a bundle of nerves as everyone gets ready. He hides away in his office but is reassured when Catherine arrives to support him. She tells him she loves the perfume and that it reminds her of their mother's garden when they were younger, and Christian tells her that is exactly what his inspiration was for the fragrance. However, it is only when Catherine takes her seat for the show that Carmel Snow introduces herself and tells her that she admires her greatly and lets slip that the perfume is called 'Miss Dior' which Catherine assumes is after their mother. However, Carmel tells her that Christian named the perfume after the most important person in his life... her.

Maisie Williams as Catherine Dior in "The New Look

Catherine is shocked to discover her brother's perfume is named after her.  (Image credit: Apple TV Plus)

The episode comes to a close as Dior's show is a huge success, showcasing some of his most beautiful designs, including his iconic Bar Suit. As the words 'And so it begins' flash on the screen, the episode then goes into fast forward showing the House of Dior's creations over the coming decades, right up to the modern day, highlighting what a success Dior has been since those days of his first show.

The New Look is available to stream worldwide on Apple TV Plus.

CATEGORIES
Claire Crick
Assistant Managing Editor at What To Watch

Claire is Assistant Managing Editor at What To Watch and has been a journalist for over 15 years, writing about everything from soaps and TV to beauty, entertainment, and even the Royal Family. After starting her career at a soap magazine, she ended up staying for 13 years, and over that time she’s pulled pints in the Rovers Return, sung karaoke in the Emmerdale village hall, taken a stroll around Albert Square, and visited Summer Bay Surf Club in sunny Australia. 

After learning some tricks of the trade at websites Digital Spy, Entertainment Daily, and Woman & Home, Claire landed a role at What’s On TV and whattowatch.com writing about all things TV and film, with a particular love for Aussie soaps, Strictly Come Dancing and Bake Off

She’s interviewed everyone from June Brown — AKA Dot Cotton — to Michelle Keegan, swapped cooking tips with baking legend Mary Berry backstage at the NTAs, and danced the night away with soap stars at countless awards bashes. There’s not a lot she doesn’t know about soaps and TV and can be very handy when a soapy question comes up in a pub quiz! 

As well as all things soap-related, Claire also loves running, spa breaks, days out with her kids, and getting lost in a good book.