Naman Shrestha
Based on true events, Apple TV+’s ‘The New Look’ is a biographical drama series that takes us back in time, around the Second World War, and delves deep into the dramatized details of fashion designer Christian Dior. The thrilling and gripping tale focuses on the fashion pioneer and his contemporaries, including Pierre Balmain, Coco Chanel, and Cristóbal Balenciaga, as their rivalry helps return life and spirit to the world of modern fashion while navigating the horrors of World War II.
The Todd A. Kessler creation provides an in-depth look into the iconic designs and clothing created by none other than Christian Dior through collaboration with the House of Dior. Consisting of some talented and widely recognized faces in the industry, including Ben Mendelsohn, Juliette Binoche, Maisie Williams, John Malkovich, and Emily Mortimer, the drama show unfolds in Nazi occupation Paris around the time of World War II, leaving many of you wondering if it is filmed on location or someplace else entirely.
The New Look Was Shot On Location in Paris
‘The New Look’ is set as well as taped in the European country of France, especially in the city of Paris. The process of visually translating the intriguing tale on the screen as the first installment commenced in the Summer of 2022 and carried on for months. Filming for season 1 finally wrapped up towards the end of the year in December. Utilizing the French backdrops to recreate the WW2 era and showcase the emergence of big players in the contemporary fashion industry proved to be a pleasurable experience for the entire team of the season.
Paris, France
The city of Paris in the northern part of France is the primary shooting site for the biographical drama series. For the purpose of filming, the cast and crew visit the dreamy capital city, which is located in the heart of the Île-de-France region AKA the Paris Region. The original house of Dior at 30 Avenue Montaigne is the property that couturier Christian Dior chose to set the foundation of his namesake empire in 1946. It is also the birthplace of the titular collection. Filming of the scenes set in the iconic site takes place on location. It won’t be wrong to say that the spectacular four-storeyed complex is a significant part of the storyline and doubles up as just another character in the Apple TV+ production.
Apart from that, the production team also uses several locales of the enchanting City of Love to tape the show. Interestingly, Maisie Williams, who essays the character of Christian Dior’s sister, Catherine, underwent a physical transformation to enact the role in the first season. Under the care and guidance of medical professionals, the actress lost 25 pounds. In an interview with Harper’s Bazaar UK, she shared some insights on her regime. “I had to be up at 4 a.m. to start sweating. The night before, at about 7 or 8 p.m. I was allowed to have something salty and dehydrating — some smoked salmon and a tiny glass of wine. Then I had a boiling-hot bath with lots of salts in it.” Maisie said.
The actress continued, “And I sort of levitated to bed and slept for maybe three hours and woke up and had a handful of nuts. I wouldn’t be able to sleep through the night at this point.” She further described that the process was “relentless” as it involved crafting intense interrogation sequences as well as scenes set in a packed cattle truck and concentration camp. However, Maisie continued that it wasn’t that challenging for her as she likes to immerse herself into her character “and keep on pushing until we complete a scene.” Since Paris is regarded as one of the fashion capitals of the world as well as the home of Dior, it only makes sense why ‘The New Look’ is shot on location.
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