NJ Goldston, founder of The Blonde And The Brunette, is the site’s brown-haired contributor (the blonde is artist Kathryn Lebowitz) and she regularly covers style events as well as fashion week in New York, Paris, Milan, and London. The intrepid style scribe has interviewed such luminaries as Alber Elbaz, Olivier Theyskens, Derek Lam, Mary Katrantzou and Wes Gordon. Though Goldston, who lives in Beverly Hills with her husband venture capitalist Mark Goldston, documents the fashion world, she also holds the CEO post at the advertising and branding agency The UXB. The West Hartford, Connecticut native arrived in L.A. in the nineties after earning Bachelors degrees from New York University in film and television and also in journalism, as well as her M.B.A. in marketing and economics from N.Y.U.’s Stern School of Business. And she’s found herself deeply involved in another dimension of design—fine art. As a Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) board member, she’s the dinner chair for MOCA’s 35th anniversary gala on Saturday, March 29. The party, presented by Louis Vuitton, and being held at the Geffen Contemporary at MOCA will include a first look at the new Mike Kelley retrospective there.

Goldston divides her time between overseeing creative development at The UXB, covering fashion events worldwide, and skiing the slopes at her family home in Beaver Creek, Colorado. She just returned from fashion week in Paris where she took in the ready-to-wear fall collections by Nicolas Ghesquière for Louis Vuitton, Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel, and Miuccia Prada for Miu Miu. Though it was certainly not her first trip, Goldston was reminded of why she loves to return to the City of Lights. Here, she reveals her favorite Parisian sites.

By Ellie June

STAY

PARK HYATT VENDÔME I just stayed here for the first time and I loved it. It turned out to be a hub of activity during fashion week. I spontaneously ran into so many of my L.A. buddies including Monique Lhuillier and Aimee Song. Best of all, I honestly think it’s a jewel of a hotel for its understated elegance, striking blend of contemporary Ed Tuttle architecture, and great restaurants. The location is another big plus. I was within walking distance or 10 minutes away from anything and everything from the runway shows, the Place Vendôme, the Avenue des Champs-Élysées, the Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, plus all my favorite museums.

DINE

CAFÉ MARLY and HÔTEL COSTES I love them both for lunch. Café Marly for its stunning views of the Louvre pyramid combined with its contemporary brasserie menu, and the irresistible Hôtel Costes for the dining room and fabulous terrace complete with stunning model/waiters known for their attitudes. I also love the candles and perfumes that capture the essence of the hotel.

MONSIEUR BLEU I love everything modern and relaxed. Located right near the new wing of the Palais de Tokyo museum, across from the Eiffel Tower, this is a dazzling location at night. The kitchen is open round the clock so it’s a perfect late night, breakfast, or even lunch option. It also has a wonderful private dining room if you want to plan a great dinner party. Chanel just hosted the loveliest event.

APICIUS This is a magical dining experience. Set in a stunning and formerly private château in the heart of Paris, this two-star Michelin experience is worth every bite. It took my breath away.

LA CUISINE at LE ROYAL MONCEAU I adore the incredibly artistic décor by Philippe Starck. The design combines large tables and private alcoves with striking hand-painted ceilings. Don’t forget to take in the famous collection of exquisite one-of-a-kind celebrity hand-drawn plates on exhibit. The menu is the perfect mix of traditional French with a light modern twist to each dish. The desserts, oh, the desserts. Worth every calorie.

MON VIEIL AMI by ANTOINE WESTERMANN Located right in the heart of Ile Saint-Louis, near the hotel Lambert, it’s the perfect local haunt. It’s a great bistro to visit with a group of friends. The updated medieval dining room—with stone walls and dark-wood tables—combined with the absolutely lightest, freshest, modern Alsatian menu make it a winner. There’s even a choice of community or private tables so the eatery is perfect for stopping by at the last minute. 

PLAY 

THE DRIES VAN NOTEN EXHIBITION at LES ARTS DÉCORATIFS Running through August 2014, this is a do-not-miss. It’s such a dazzling and emotional retrospective of Van Noten’s work. One of the preeminent fashion designers of the last 30 years, he’s so incredibly creative and this show brings you an intimate view of his thought process. I found myself immersed in every piece of the collection, both the women’s collections and menswear.

COLETTE I need my retail therapy, and no one provides more surprises than Colette. I never leave empty-handed. From clothing to books to the 100 brands of water at the water bar, I could spend hours there.

LOUIS VUITTON No trip is complete for me without a visit to the flagship boutique on the Champs Elysées. There are a lot of secret goodies there. This time I scored an amazing headpiece from the extraordinaires grouping in the very last collection designed by Marc Jacobs. Of course, I wore it to the Louis Vuitton dinner in Paris!

LES MARQUIS DE LADURÉE I’ve got a sweet tooth so no trip to Paris is complete without multiple stops for the famous macarons. I love the Champs-Elysée or Rue Royale locations. While in Paris, I also send little boxes as thank-you gifts. The new Les Marquis de Ladurée on 14 Rue Castiglione is the most recently launched decadent ode to chocolate. It’s a true architectural wonder.

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