A New Set of Eyes MOST people who stayed up to see the Obamas on election night probably saw, or thought, the same thing: who are those grownup-looking girls with their parents? Malia Obama is now 14, her sister, Sasha, 11, and their outfits - full skirts, flats, sparkly necklaces (on Sasha) - caused more talk on the Internet than Michelle's magenta Michael Kors dress. And not because the first lady had worn the dress before. We're just interested in what young people think: about politics, cultural matters and, yes, fashion. "Their outfits were totally appropriate for their ages," said Amy Astley, the editor of Teen Vogue, reminding me that, by and large, teenagers dress to conform to their peers rather than to stand out. Their flared skirts and conservative layered tops were in line with what you see on a number of blogs and, of course, around New York. And, no, Ms. Astley did not think the skirts were too short, as some observers did. "Teenage girls abhor a knee-length skirt," she said. It's like a one-piece swimsuit. It's what their mothers wear. This made me wonder what it would be like for a goth teenager living in the White House. How would the Obamas handle piercings and tattoos? No doubt they'd show love and tolerance, but I imagine that the nuances of goth would escape the mainstream media and invite irritating comments. In a way, the Obama girls' fashion sense is hemmed in, at least when they are in public. The average age of Teen Vogue's readers is 19. That made me think about the news that Nicolas Ghesquière has decided to leave Balenciaga after 15 years as creative director of the Paris house. Malia Obama wasn't even born when the designer, then unknown, started making strange connections between Cristobal Balenciaga's pure, religious shapes and Princess Leia. Balenciaga saw Goya, and Mr. Ghesquière saw "Star Wars." As he said in 1999, when I first met him: "I look at all these images, and I learn to try to integrate them, but then I try to forget them. After all, I am 28 and I can only see things through my eyes. He was incredibly nimble in those early years. He did a lot with a little: those beautiful, tattered white and pearl-beaded dresses inspired by bridal attire, the slouchy green cargo pants that became a hit, the superchic waxed cotton coats based on Barbour jackets. But Mr. Ghesquière also had a vision for Balenciaga. He knew which ideas the label could support, and, naturally, some things didn't work. At age 40, he should again want the challenge, and the freedom, of seeing "things through my eyes." As for his successor, I think it's clear that it must be someone who represents a new generation. That is now the power of Balenciaga, thanks to Mr. Ghesquière and the people who worked with him. It is a platform for new ideas. Lots of names are already being tossed around: Alexander Wang, Joseph Altuzarra, Christopher Kane. There will be more. Round up the usual suspects! But for those 19-year-olds who will one day be 30, the next designer of Balenciaga will also need to have a vision. And that is becoming harder to find.