Nazarene was considered a "mink coat church" at the time, Tillard said, with an educated, affluent African-American congregation.

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The ostensible cause, according to Robert Mondavi's autobiography "Harvests of Joy, " was Peter's accusation that Robert had dipped into company funds to buy his wife a mink coat, but tensions had been building for years between the two, who had different visions for the Charles Krug winery, which their immigrant father had purchased in 1943.

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Belstaff's coats were tempting in earth-tone shearlings for every lifestyle, and KaufmanFranco wrapped a tough-girl muse in a little luxury, lining a black leather driving coat with mink.

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Mr. de la Renta showed short-sleeve outerwear and a silk merino "cardigan coat" with a mink collar.

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Their take on the fur coat is a patchwork of the most luxurious astrakhan: mink, velvet and goat fur.

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Soirees in this storied piece of real estate are held in the classic ballroom which comes complete with chandeliers and a coat-check closet handy for keeping track of a few dozen mink coats or, say, 200 winter overcoats.

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