Vanessa Amorosi made a rare public appearance at the Melbourne Cup Carnival on Thursday, following years of a bitter legal and family dispute with her mother.
The 45-year-old Australian singer attended Oaks Day, traditionally known as Ladies’ Day, where she was scheduled to perform at Flemington Racecourse. Her set included some of her best-known songs, including Absolutely Everybody, Shine and This Is Who I Am.
Amorosi took an unconventional approach to the event’s traditionally romantic dress code and pastel palette, arriving in a striking Gothic-inspired black dress splashed with gold.
The dramatic design featured pronounced shoulder pads and a bold gold pattern sweeping across one shoulder.
She completed the look with a black fascinator resembling a cluster of curled tree branches and carried a silver clutch.
Meanwhile, Nadia Bartel embraced a peach-toned monochromatic aesthetic in an ensemble by Lillian Khallouf.
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 41-year-old Henne co-founder took a fashion risk in an unusual faux-leather outfit, featuring an oversized jacket cinched over a pencil skirt.
Bartel teamed the outfit with pointed designer heels and peach-coloured headwear by Melissa Jackson.
She added chunky gold earrings and carried a $550 feather bucket bag from Scanlan Theodore.
Amy Pejkovic was among the other celebrity arrivals, staying closer to the event’s pastel theme in a yellow lace gown and straw hat.
The 33-year-old model and former high jumper added a playful edge with animal-print stilettos.
Former MasterChef Australia judge Melissa Leong, 44, opted for a beige two-piece ensemble that revealed a hint of skin.
Her outfit comprised a cropped top and floor-length skirt decorated with floral embellishments, highlighting her trim figure.
A matching beige pillbox hat and black leather clutch completed the look.
Elsewhere, Nadia Bartel, 41, opted for a peach-inspired monochromatic look as she arrived in a Lillian Khallouf ensemble
The Henne co-founder suffered a rare fashion fail as she was garbed in an odd faux leather look with an oversized jacket belted belted over a pencil skirt
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.
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Celebrity stylist and shoe designer Lana Wilkinson looked elegant in a pastel-pink strapless dress, paired with a matching wide-brimmed hat.
She accessorised with stilettos from her own collection and a candy-pink patent leather handbag.
Podcast host Anna McEvoy also attracted attention in a floral kimono-style dress as she posed alongside her husband, Michael Staples.
Crown Oaks Day provides a fitting finale to the Melbourne Cup Carnival Fashions on the Field competition, presented by Lexus.
The winners of Best Suited and Best Dressed across the Melbourne Cup Carnival were due to be announced at 3:35pm and 4:05pm respectively.
Amorosi’s appearance came after a legal battle with her mother, Joyleen Robinson. The dispute culminated in Robinson being required to leave the property she regarded as her dream home after a court ruled that Vanessa was its rightful owner.
The Narre Warren North property, in Melbourne’s south-east, sold for $2.6 million in August 2025. Robinson had lived there since 2001, after her then-successful daughter bought the home.
The sale took place several weeks before Amorosi discussed the family dispute publicly in a tell-all interview with Channel Nine’s 60 Minutes, which aired in September 2025.
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 securing sole ownership of the property in her Supreme Court case.
The sale represented another chapter in the bitter public feud, which began in 2014 when Amorosi engaged forensic accountants over concerns about the way her mother had managed her finances during the height of her music career.
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
Author Charlene Davies made a bold statement in a blue floor-length tulle gown
The Block star Darren Palmer arrived in a monochromatic green suit with a darker undershirt
Melbourne-based hair and makeup artist Jade Kisnorbo opted for an all-white ensemble
Fashion designer Alin Le’ Kal stepped out in a long white coat he slipped on over matching slacks and a shirt he partially unbuttoned
Postcards host Brodie Harper slipped into a red gown with an off-the-shoulder neckline
TikTok influencer Elle Ray flaunted her figure in a form-fitting plum gown with a pink halter neck
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