Fashion and history come together this summer at Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts, where visitors can step inside the elegant world of arts patron Lucie Rosen through a new guided tour showcasing her remarkable wardrobe.
Running every Friday and Saturday through Sept. 5, the 2026 Rosen House Focus Tour: Inside Lucie’s Wardrobe offers guests an opportunity to explore the clothing, accessories and personal style of one of New York’s most distinctive cultural figures.
Presented inside the historic Rosen House in Katonah, New York, the 45-minute docent-led tour features 18 mannequins dressed in garments spanning nearly four decades, from the mid-1920s through the 1960s. The exhibition marks the first time in more than 30 years that many of Lucie Rosen’s fashions have been displayed publicly.
The Mediterranean-style villa, once home to Lucie and her husband Walter Rosen, provides the backdrop for the exhibition, allowing visitors to see the clothing in the rooms where it was originally worn and admired.
Developed by Jessa Krick, Caramoor’s Director of Interpretation, Collection and Archives, the tour draws on years of archival research, including Rosen’s diaries, scrapbooks and personal datebooks.
“We know she had many more dresses and outfits throughout her lifetime based on the photos,” Krick said. “So the pieces Lucie saved must have had sentimental value for her. They were the items she treasured.”
Among the exhibition’s discoveries is new evidence identifying fashion designer Alan Kramer, also known as Prince Tirtoff, as one of Rosen’s preferred couturiers. Krick’s research has connected the designer to several garments in the collection, shedding new light on a professional relationship that lasted for years.
The tour also includes what Krick believes is a previously misidentified evening coat designed by celebrated French fashion pioneer Paul Poiret. Based on its distinctive embroidery and color palette, she now attributes the garment to the influential designer, adding another significant piece to Rosen’s fashion legacy.
Visitors will also see examples of Fortuny textiles, custom-made costumes, handcrafted accessories and clothing created by artist and designer Ethel Wallace, illustrating Rosen’s preference for artistic, unconventional fashion over mainstream trends.
To complement the exhibition, Krick will present a free lecture, Conversations at Caramoor: Behind the Seams, on June 25, offering additional insight into Rosen’s wardrobe and the research behind the exhibition.
Known today for its concerts, gardens and historic estate, Caramoor continues to expand its cultural programming by blending music, history, architecture and fashion. The new exhibition offers visitors a rare glimpse into the life of a woman whose bold sense of style was as memorable as her contributions to the arts.