Balenciaga looks pretty bad as of late, and it could very well have to do with both Sebastien Peigné and Alistair Carr not working with the house anymore - You look at both designer's work and even though there is more than a hint of previous Balenciaga in it, it has a much more uncontrived flair about it than what Nicolas Guesquière is doing on his own - These clothes look like a forced, fashion-y statement and do not come up as being instantly desirable as previous Balenciaga smash hits such as the brocaded silk blazers, the motorcycle jackets, the aviator shearlings or archival egg-shaped coats.