Bringing a taste of the Tropics to the Stage at Lincoln Center, Mara Hoffman wowed us with color, prints and skin-baring pieces from her Spring 2013 collection. With strategically placed cut-outs and electrifying prints throughout her collection, Mara definitely made me want to book the next flight to some exotic locale, where I could kick up my heels (literally) in a hammock and sip fruity drinks. Incorporating live flowers and leafy accents also showcased the designer's out-of-the-box thinking. And neon? Mara let us know it's here to stay (yay!). —by The Budget Babe Correspondent, Megan Zietz

When you hear words like rebirth, substantive and paradigm shift, the first fashion brand that comes to mind probably isn't bebe, but that's exactly what the brand hoped to conjure with Monday's Spring 2013 collection presentation held at a Chelsea art gallery. There were no lines wrapped around the block, no Snooki (as was the case last season) but rather a stark oval room with dimly lit models poised like Stepford wives from the future behind a wall with portal-like round windows. New Age music set a sci-fi tone for the simple yet striking pieces in leather and tone on tone patchwork in a magnolia inspired palette of yellows, whites, greens and blacks, structured with patent and mesh shaping and punctuated by striking prints and textures. This was the dawn of a new era for bebe, which is aiming for a more "upscale" market. Perhaps this is bad news for budget babes. But then again, there are always sales, even in the year 2013.