Party Line

Luxury drinks brand Clos19 is the toast of e-commerce.

- Henrietta Thompson

What are you bringing to the party? How do you set the table – and the mood? And more pertinently, why should champagne just be regarded as something to consume, when it offers such enormous potential for creativity? These were the questions Stéphanie Watine Arnault pondered in 2017 when she founded Clos19, the e-commerce platform that is speedily reinventing the landscape of wine and spirits for a new generation. Based in London, Clos19 focuses less on products and more on the things they foster – including unforgettable experiences, social celebrations and the ever-evolving art of hosting.

I meet Watine Arnault at her London apartment, where elegant furnishings are accented by an enviable art collection. She’s the consummate hostess but also a highly educated and experienced entrepreneur and marketer, not to mention the niece of Bernard Arnault, CEO and chairman of the world’s largest luxury goods company, LVMH. She’s well versed in the traditions and customs of the wine and spirit industry, while having the insight and energy to question them. If anyone is in a position to change the rules, it’s her.