Didn’t get the memo? Vanessa Amorosi wears an unusual black splatter dress to pastel-themed Oaks Day as she makes rare public appearance following bitter war with her mother
Vanessa Amorosi made a rare public appearance at the Melbourne Cup Carnival on Thursday following a bitter war with her mother which spanned years.
The Aussie songstress, 45, attended Oaks Day, often known as ‘Ladies’ Day’, where she is set to entertain the crowds at Flemington Racecourse with her hits Absolutely Everybody, Shine and This Is Who I Am.
And it appears that Amorosi missed the dress code, which is traditionally associated with romantic fashion and pastel colours, arriving in an unusual Gothic-inspired black splatter dress.
The frock featured bold shoulder pads and a gold splatter across one shoulder of the garment.
She paired the outfit with a black fascinator that resembled small tree branches and a silver clutch bag.
Among the other celebrity arrivals was Amy Pejkovic, who stuck to the theme in a yellow lace gown paired with a straw hat.
Vanessa Amorosi made a rare public appearance at the Melbourne Cup Carnival on Thursday following a bitter war with her mother which spanned several years
She paired the outfit with a black fascinator that resembled small tree branches and a silver clutch bag
The model and former high jumper, 33, added a touch of playfulness to her outfit by wearing a pair of animal print stilettos.
Meanwhile, Former MasterChef Australia judge Melissa Leong, 44, flashed a little bit of flesh in a two-piece beige number.
Her outfit consisted of a cropped top and a floor-length skirt with flower embellishments that showed off her trim figure.
She teamed the outfit with a matching beige pillbox hat and a black leather clutch bag.
Celebrity stylist and shoe designer Lana Wilkinson was pretty in a pastel pink strapless dress with a matching wide-brimmed hat.
She accessorised with stilettos from her own collection and a candy pink patent leather handbag.
Elsewhere, podcast host Anna McEvoy turned heads in kimono-style floral dress as she cuddled up to her husband Michael Staples.
Crown Oaks Day is a fitting finale for the Melbourne Cup Carnival Fashions on the Field competition, presented by Lexus.
Among the other celebrity arrivals was Amy Pejkovic, who stuck to the pastel theme in a yellow lace gown paired with a straw hat
Former MasterChef Australia judge Melissa Leong, 44, flashed a little bit of flesh in a two-piece beige number.
Celebrity stylist and shoe designer Lana Wilkinson was pretty in a pastel pink strapless dress with a matching wide-brimmed hat.
Podcast host Anna McEvoy turned heads in kimono-style floral dress as she cuddled up to her husband Michael Staples
The overall winner for Best Suited and Best Dressed across Melbourne Cup Carnival will be announced at 3:35pm and 4:05pm respectively.
Amorosi’s appearance at the event comes after her legal battle with her mother, Joyleen Robinson, which culminated in Robinson being forced to leave the property she considered her dream home after a court ruled that Vanessa was its rightful owner.
In August 2025, the Narre Warren North property, in Melbourne’s south-east, sold for $2.6 million. Robinson had lived in the home since 2001, when her then-successful daughter purchased it.
The sale came several weeks before Amorosi gave a tell-all interview to Channel Nine’s 60 Minutes, which aired in September 2025, in which she spoke publicly about the bitter family dispute.
In September 2024, Supreme Court of Victoria Justice Steven Moore ordered Robinson to vacate the property within 60 days of receiving $870,000 in restitution from her daughter.
Amorosi was given until March 2025 to make the payment after winning her Supreme Court bid for sole ownership of the property.
The sale marked another chapter in the bitter public feud, which began in 2014 when Amorosi engaged forensic accountants amid concerns about how her mother had managed her finances during the peak of her musical success.
