Maisie Williams Brings a Whole New Meaning to the New Look

There are few silhouettes as steeped in fashion history as Christian Dior’s New Look. The design ushered in a hyper-feminine wave of clothing and impacted fashion so much so that it even inspired a new AppleTV+ series aptly titled The New Look. Well, last night, Maisie Williams offered up a clubby twist on the designer’s historic silhouette during a press event in Pasadena, California.

Williams’s skirt set, plucked from Erdem’s pre-fall 2023 collection, consisted of a plunging black blazer and matching maxi bottom. The pieces were tailored to a tee, as is expected of a New Look homage, and hugged the actor’s figure in all the right places. But what truly brought the outfit into Williams’s wheelhouse were both its era-appropriate stylings and various embellishments.

The actor’s jacket, which finished just below her waist, featured a series of pleated details along the hemline as well as glitzy embroidery across the sleeves and bodice. Her skirt followed suit, too, with the same black appliqué design and pleated fabric. Williams finished off her look in a very ’40s Dior kind of way, pairing a black pillbox hat with sheer gloves and styling her hair in loose Hollywood waves.

Williams was not the only New Look actor who indulged in a statement silhouette. Juliette Binoche, who takes on the role of Coco Chanel in the series, opted for a custom sculptural dress from Acne Studio’s spring 2024 collection that was more modern avant-garde than ’40s chic.

Williams will play Catherine Dior, the younger sister of Monsieur Dior, in the 10-episode drama that follows the latter’s ascent in a post-WWII fashion scene alongside the likes of Pierre Balmain, Lucien Lelong, Cristóbal Balenciaga, and Coco Chanel. Catherine wasn’t just the little sister of Christian Dior, though—she was a flower trader (the brand’s Miss Dior perfume is said to have been named after Catherine) and opposed Nazi occupation as a member of the French Resistance during the war.

“I had so much fun making this show and I think that it’s going to be really impactful,” Williams told Elle in April, adding, “It will bring together my love for fashion and also my love for acting—that makes me really excited.”