Stunningly haute: Fierce fashion graces post-war Paris in ‘The Collection’
Post-war Paris becomes the hub of French fashion revival in the “Masterpiece Classic” series “The Collection,” premiering Sunday, Oct. 8, on PBS. The city’s wealthy elites long for a way to elevate the nation’s global standing, and they find a promising solution in Paul Sabine Couture.
The series begins in February of
1947, and centers around the Sabine fashion house, led by brothers Paul (Richard Coyle, “Pusher,” 2012) and Claude (Tom Riley, “Da Vinci’s Demons”). While the creative talent lies within the eccentric and introverted Claude, it is Paul’s business savvy and influence that have the family name circulating among high-level Parisians and fashionistas worldwide.
The family is rounded out by Paul’s charmingly blunt American wife, Helen (Mamie Gummer, “Side Effects,”
2013), and the steadfast matriarch, Yvette (Frances de la Tour, “Outlander”). Collectively, they do what’s necessary to further the business, all the while attempting to suppress any rumors or scandals that might surface to threaten their growing brand.
When a notable man, considered the city’s wealthiest, comes to Paul Sabine Couture looking to revitalize Paris’s international influence, the brothers are initially dismissed for a lack of ingenuity. Luckily, an optimistic American photographer, Billy Novak (Max Deacon, “The Call Up,”
2016), stumbles upon the perfect solution after a touching encounter with a stunning young seamstress from the Sabines’ own atelier, named Nina (Jenna Thiam, “Daydreams,” 2016). An innocent request leads to the development of images that capture the essence of the fashion house: ordinary women transformed by extraordinary craftsmanship and design.
While there is no real Paul Sabine Couture for writer and creator Oliver Goldstick to pull from, the series is clearly influenced by the real-life rumors and exploits of established brands. Nods to Dior and Chanel can be felt in the dramatic events that unfold, along with the innovations established by these houses in creating a new fashion sense for France. Beyond subtle tributes, showrunners enlisted the costume expertise of designers Chattoune & Fab to develop a collection for Paul Sabine Couture. The duo, renowned for its innovative creations in costume design, crafted more than 30 handmade dresses for the fictional fashion house’s line, along with dressing the entire cast.
What results is a unique blend of modern tailoring and 1940s esthetic — something that actor Riley grew to celebrate. In preparation for his role as Claude, Riley told TV Drama Weekly that he attended a few fashion shows. While there, he discovered that fashion was “more than just something that’s thrown away every season” and came to appreciate that “there is a real craft … an art” to the intricate work of fashion design.
The artistic spirit is what propels Claude, though his wavering confidence and sporadic devotion to his work make promoting the family business quite the challenge for his brother. The family dynamics truly take precedent in “The Collection,” as Paul puts the family’s reputation above all else, often suppressing the defiance of moral and societal norms in order to protect the family’s name. Claude doesn’t make this easy for Paul, as he struggles, in Riley’s words, with being “such a tormented little individual.”
Claude lives up to the tropes of the struggling artist, all the while being a modern man worthy of empathy, given the restrictiveness of an era still largely bound by traditional expectations and not yet ready to accept, for instance, Claude’s homosexuality, which must be kept undercover. Meanwhile, Paul’s burden lies not solely with being his brother’s manager and caretaker, but also struggling to establish his own iden- tity through leadership, given that his own success lies in Claude’s talents. In this sense, both brothers, despite their squabbles, need one another if they are to ever leave a lasting mark as an iconic Parisian fashion house.
Beyond the history of fashion, “The Collection” touches on the lasting effects of World War II in a still recovering Paris. The distrust and secretive nature of the war lingers amongst the citizens of the city, who find themselves constantly analyzing every pen and person to determine wartime allegiances. Acts of survival become devout signs of national betrayal as Paris regains its footing and longs to purge itself of all remnants of a Nazi-ensnared Europe. Different characters struggle with their own secrets of the war, and look to justify — or bury — their actions, and an ambitious business must tread lightly to excel beyond rumors and toward a lucrative future.
Fans of “Masterpiece” can rest assured that this latest addition to the PBS lineup is an exquisitely welcome one. “The Collection” offers the familiar esthetic and feel expected of the network’s other period dramas, while at the same time transforming preconceived notions of post-war Paris. The in-depth, heightened focus on the rise of a fictional fashion house provides a gateway into the transitory nature of Paris’s social classes, where entrepreneurial spirit slowly snuffs out the advantages of old money. The modern feel of this historical drama will captivate fashionistas and historians alike, when “The Collection” makes its way down the PBS prime-time runway starting Sunday, Oct. 8.