For years the designer has held her new seasons presentations in her eastern suburbs home or her Kent Street business headquarters in the city.

''I like the intimacy of keeping it smaller,'' Zampatti said. ''It suits my personal style and I can share it with people that I really have a connection with.''

So when Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Australia asked Zampatti to open the event at the cavernous Carriageworks space in Eveleigh, the designer wasn't sure at first.

''I did think twice because I like the other system more, but it was such an honour that I thought I should accept,'' she said.

Zampatti stepped out on Sunday for the presentation held under the Mercedes-Benz Presents banner, a relatively new initiative that celebrates a designer of note before MBFWA officially opens on Monday.

Chic skirt suits and jumpsuits with plunging necklines, pretty embroidered cocktail dresses and silk organza strapless gowns were among the looks in the designer's mostly monochrome spring summer collection.

''Black is the classiest colour ever invented and white is the most flattering because it reflects light to the skin in the way a string of pearls will do,'' Zampatti said.

Many garments featured full skirts or bodices of exquisitely delicate net embroidered with tiny orchids or daisies.

''When you see beautiful fabrics like that, immediately your mind starts working on what you can create,'' Zampatti said.

Given the recent departures from the industry of Lisa Ho and Collette Dinnigan, the designer's signature evening wear should gain an even greater market share.

A sleek ivory floor-length sheath, a black gown with a plunging neckline and crinoline skirt and an edgy asymmetric cobalt gown with a metallic collar were among the nighttime looks Zampatti showed on Sunday.

The designer will celebrate her 50th anniversary in the business next year, and said her longevity even in tough economic times was due to an unwavering commitment to quality.

''Over the years we have built up a trust with our clients so when things are difficult they know if they buy only one from me it lasts for a very long time and it is an investment,'' she said.