It's been a black week in Melbourne. Organisers vigorously spruiked Spring Fashion Week as the prelude to a season of girly ruffles, flowery prints and pretty colours, but it didn't work. Melbourne's favourite shade of chic dominated.

Black has persisted in more than half of both general spring and racewear collections, including yesterday's, presented by Myer to a noisy 800 at the VRC's annual Spring Lunch at Flemington.

"Light and refreshing," said Myer's fashion director Judy Coomber, introducing the show. "Lots of frills, lots of ruffles and tiers."

She said nothing about black, but once her models began thumping down the catwalk, there was no denying that safe, classic black was back for the second consecutive spring.

Carla Zampatti mated it in silky jodphurs with violent white striped and hazard-light yellow satin. Camilla and Marc showed a swishy little black lace dress under black leather jacket; an oddly "right" combination for youthful racewear. Jayson Brunsdon showed black with purple, and Theresa Liano of T. L. Wood in a soft cardi-ette sparkling with sequins and edged with black organza trim. Among the few designers who spurned black, Bettina Liano showed the prettiest silky floral strapless print mini dresses.

Hi There by Karen Walker included a tightly pleated empire mini in daffodil yellow. Toni Maticevski presented an elegant cluster of oatmeal silk and musk pink spring coats and tea dresses.

And Leona Edmiston picked up the trend to floor-grazing maxi dresses that swept out, bead ropes swinging and hippie hats, wide-brimmed and floppy by Melissa Jackson and The Two Mrs Grenvilles, bobbing like a fashion show circa 1969.