From the minute you entered the big tent at Bryant Park, you could tell that Tia Cibani was going to be working out some Asian influences in her Spring 2010 Ports 1961 collection, as evidenced by the giant photo of a Zen rock garden at the back of the runway.

(Nevermind that I got easily distracted when I spotted none other than Kelly Kapowski seated across the room next to Mr. Mickey. Random, yet awesome, sighting. If only Jessie Spano and Lisa Turtle had been around to take it all in, too.)

You could see the inspiration in the form of variations on the obi, you know the big tie at the back of traditional kimonos, shoes that had heels that looked as difficult to walk in as those of a traditional geisha (some stumbling models would likely agree), and traces of bamboo in clutches. For me, the Asian touches worked really well when paired with more modern silhouettes, like some of the lovely suiting. But less so when things got too literal—there were what looked like chopsticks tucked into one of the obi-like knots on a draped dress.

That said, there were lots of pretty separates in a fresh, clean pallette, some cool use of tie dye, and fabrics that I can’t wait to get a closer look at.

Plus, you know, a Saved by the Bell sighting!

Fashion Week invitations are flooding in and while some, like Michael Kors and Oscar de la Renta stick to their classic cards, others use their invite as a sneak of their upcoming collections.

The most orginal, so far, are a fan from Ports 1961 and a video invite from Rachel Comey.

Mulberry’s brightly colored invite means it’ll be easy to wake up on the morning of the 15th knowing there’s a room full of fantastical accessories to look forward to. And the invitation for Organic by John Patrick is actually a 1921 Cleo Throckmorton photograph, Krazy Kat Klub, recently hand painted by L. Mulero. Preen’s recycled paper invite boasts a mesh, fishnet pattern that’s awfully similar to last season’s collection and Christian Siriano’s dark mountainous image looks like a Rorschach test while Rachel Antonoff’s old fashioned, embossed invite bills her presentation as a performance hosted by Sarah Sophie Flicker at the Henry Street Playhouse.

Click for close ups!

Ports 1961 needs fall interns and they need them fast.

You will be fashionable, dependable, hardworking and enthusiastic three days a week. The number of hours per day are up for discussion and they can give you school credit if you like, but you don’t need to need it.

In return they will teach you how an in house PR team at a major fashion company runs. You’ll help prepare for Fashion Week, compile press kits, work on sample requests and help organize and run events at their Meatpacking District store. In fact, they specifically declare, “no running for coffee here!”

Sounds like a pretty sweet deal to us. If you concur, email samantha.frappied@ports1961.com.

This summer’s Olympics are shaping up to be the most fashionable yet.

While the swimmers rock Rei Kawakubo designed Speedo swimsuits, WWD reports that the commentators will wear custom made Ports 1961 outfits.

Tia Cibani, the brand’s creative director, has met with four different female TV hosts from NBC, CNBC, MSNBC and USA “to marry the Ports aesthetic with each girl’s personality.”

Each woman will wear three separate outfits a day for every day of the Olympics which run for three scorching hot weeks in Beijing starting August 8th.

We wish more designers were involved with the Olympics. Giambattista Valli would design frilly leotards for the gymnasts, Lagerfeld could make hip black track suits for runners and Vivienne Westwood might paint colorful suits for the synchronized swimmers.

This needs to happen. Do you know anyone on the Olympic committee?