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.
Set against the backdrop of the Nazi invasion of Paris in 1940 and based on real-life events, the first episode throws us right into the center of the drama where Dior and Chanel, just like everyone else in wartime Paris, are trying to navigate life under German rule.
The episode opens in 1955, post-war Paris, where Coco Chanel is planning her comeback collection after the war, while Dior's star is already rising and he is being honored at an event in the city that day. There are hundreds of fans and fashion students waiting for the arrival of Christian, however, he is nervous about the event and is hiding backstage, having his tarot cards read.
As the crowds grow impatient, Dior's staff try to do some damage control by getting the models out first for the runway show, while they try and coax Christian to do the interview.
The show is a great success and eventually Christian comes out to face his fans, however, when someone asks why Coco Chanel closed her business when war broke out, while he continued to make money after designing couture for Nazi women, we are taken back to 1943 where Paris is three years into Nazi occupation and we find out what really happened for the great designers during wartime.
As Parisians line up to collect their rations from the back of the truck, we see Christian Dior among them. But as he fights for his place in the line, we see Christian's sister, Catherine, walking past looking well-dressed and apparently heading to work. But she is stopped by Nazi soldiers who ask for her papers, which she says she has left at home and will go back to collect them. However, the soldiers are far from understanding and they not-so-subtly suggest she can be let off from forgetting her papers if she sleeps with them. Sickened at the thought, Catherine runs, but it isn't long before the soldiers catch up with her in a back street and try to rape her. But before they can, two members of the resistance come and shoot the soldiers dead, helping Catchering escape and causing pandemonium to break out in the streets at the sound of gunshots.
Catherine and the men, one of whom turns out to be her boyfriend, Hervé, who is a resistance fighter, just like she is, run home. They get back to the apartment and not long after, Christian returns home and is surprised to see a stranger, Jean, in his home. He defends the fact he is designing ball gowns for Nazi women while others are living in a nightmare, maintaining that the money nearly all goes to Catherine and her resistance efforts.
Meanwhile, at a French prisoner of war camp 30 miles outside of Paris, Coco is with her friend, Baron, who has struck up a deal with the Nazis to get Coco's nephew, Andre, who she raised after her sister died, released from their capture. Eventually, he is let go, however, it becomes clear that there will be a high price to pay when a German spy reveals that their commander wants to meet Coco Chanel in three days, she just doesn't know it yet.
Later, after nursing Andre back to health at The Ritz, Coco complains about not being able to get her hands on her money because her business partners are Jewish and have fled the country and are banking elsewhere. However, she soon has bigger problems when Baron tells her she is to meet with the Nazis tomorrow, otherwise, his life is on the line.
Back in central Paris, Lucien Lelong, the founder of Maison Lelong is talking with designer Piere Balmain when Christian arrives. He tells him that the woman whose ballgown he is making has asked for Dior by name to go to her fitting tomorrow, but he is reluctant, wanting to keep his distance.
Meanwhile, Coco is meeting with Han Von Dincklage, who is a Nazi spy. He tells her to call him Spatz, which is a nickname and comes from the German word for sparrow. He takes her to dinner and she is surrounded by intimidating German men, one of which is Herr Heinrich Himmler, who is one of the most powerful men in Germany and one of the leading members of the Nazi party. He tells Coco that he believes Jews shouldn't be allowed possessions and won't rest until he has taken all their souls, and promises to use Aryan Law to get her money back by 'dealing with' her business partners.
While Spatz takes Coco to a beautiful but abandoned Jewish home and tells her she can take whatever expensive items she likes because Jews don't deserve to have nice possessions, the pair grow closer and she takes him up to her hotel room.
While Coco and Spatz spend the night together, Jean, the resistance student who has been living with Christian and Catherine finds him at a bar and tells him he is leaving as he doesn't want to bring danger to his door, and he heads off on his bike.
As Christan walks home, another man from the bar tries to kiss him, but he tells him it isn't safe to be seen together in public. Instead, he goes to the design studio and makes the beautiful dress for the Nazi woman as he promised, falling asleep at his desk because it is so late.
While he is out overnight, Catherine gets a call at the apartment to say there is to be a raid where Jean and the other students are staying and we see all of them rounded up while they were sleeping and dragged into the street by Nazi soldiers. One of them is Catherine's friend, and they are all tortured after they refuse to give the names of resistance leaders.
While Jean and his friends are executed by firing squad after they refuse to give information to the Germans, the Nazis are holding a lavish ball that Coco is attending with her new flame, Spatz. He introduces her to the head of Nazi intelligence, Commander Schellenberg, who tells her he will release her business money if she helps him with one little 'task' which is going to stop the war between Germany and Britain. Is Coco about to make a deal with the devil?
Meanwhile, there is a call for Christian who is told he needs to go and fix a tear in the ballgown that he designed for the Nazi wife. He is reluctant to go, but does as he is told, however when he gets there it turns out she has made the tear herself, and it was all a plan to get him there. She knows Catherine from school and has seen that the Nazis have a photo of her and know she is part of the resistance. The woman tells Christain that Catherine is in grave danger, and tells him to go to her.
As Christian leaves, he is desperate to get home, but on the way out of the party, he sees Coco laughing and joking with the Germans and is shocked.
Meanwhile, Catherine, who is delivering illegal letters on her bike under the cover of darkness is swiped off the street by a German car and all we hear are her screams as the car drives away.
The New Look is available to stream worldwide on Apple TV Plus.
