Ever the iconoclast, Ms. Philo deconstructed the sugary and shimmery sweetness of her chiffons and silks with a pair of the most ridiculed shoes in fashion, lined with the most counterintuitive fabric for a summer's day: mink.

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Hidden west along the tree-lined streets are pricier boutiques selling clothing, shoes, accessories and home wares.

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GARCIA-NAVARRO: Across town in a tree-lined square, 57-year-old Antonio Areola(ph) is getting his shoes shined.

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