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BEIRUT: What’s the point of owning a beautiful collection — whether art or collectibles — if there’s no proper way to showcase or preserve it?

This question lies at the heart of The Open Crate, a platform designed to help collectors digitize and preserve their collections. Founded by art specialists Amina Debbiche and Nora Mansour, the company offers an inventory and archiving service that catalogs everything from fine art and furniture to watches, books, and pens.

“People know exactly which crypto they have in their portfolio. But when it comes to art, they don't even remember the name of the artist on the wall,” said Mansour, a Lebanese finance expert turned art curator.

Debbiche and Mansour noted the urgency of digitizing art catalogues — especially in the Arab world.

“The thing with art, especially in our region of the world, is that it’s mostly held in private hands,” said Debbiche, a Tunisian art aficionado.

The privatization of artwork in a region with hotspots of instability makes the act of documentation a deeply political one: a means of preserving the unspoken victims of war — art.

To explain this, Mansour gave Arab News a hypothetical example: think of a Palestinian family in Jerusalem whose house is looted — if their artwork is documented, there’s proof it existed. It’s a map of what you own.

“It’s like our child, you know — it’s like having a baby together,” Mansour joked.

The child they created, The Open Crate, boldly and indirectly addresses an unspoken issue that has long plagued the region. Like any child, it has the potential to grow and carve out a name that its ancestors, and future generations, can be proud of.

DUBAI: French Algerian author and YouTube star Lena Mahfouf attended Le Bal d’Été at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris on Sunday in a vintage gown by Vivienne Westwood.

Other guests included Chanel ambassadors Keira Knightley, Kirsten Dunst, and Penélope Cruz.

Proceeds from the evening — an estimated $2 million — will go toward supporting the exhibition “1925–2025: One Hundred Years of Art Deco,” which opens on Oct. 22.

Sofia Coppola was the artistic director for this year’s edition of the ball and she told Vogue that she “wanted to keep the theme of a summer ball and bring the garden inside … and I approached it the same way I would a party scene in a movie.”

Legendary French hostess Countess Jacqueline de Ribes, who was captured in an iconic 1980s photograph, served as Coppola’s inspiration, with the director telling Vogue “I love the way hostesses did things then — big dresses, big flowers, color — while still being elegant and refined.

“I loved the idea of pale pink inspired by the Chanel archives — kind of Ginger Rogers — and I always loved Karl’s shirt dresses. I hope it feels personal, like a celebration of Paris and an occasion to dress up surrounded by beauty, art de vivre, and the great work of all the artisans who participated,” she added.

The event kicks off Paris Haute Couture Week, which this season will see provocative Georgian showman Demna take a final bow after 10 years at Balenciaga. The fashion week, which began on Monday, will also feature a debut for Maison Margiela's new chief creative.

Demna, known for his daring work as well as controversies during his decade-long stint at Kering-owned Balenciaga, will unveil his final collection on Wednesday in what is expected to be one of the highlights of the week.

Not to be confused with Paris Fashion Week, Haute Couture Week takes place exclusively in Paris - in January for spring-summer collections and July for autumn-winter.

It is a uniquely French event dedicated to handcrafted, one-of-a-kind creations made to wear at red carpets, galas, and other high-profile events.

As usual, Schiaparelli opened Couture Week, followed later in the day by shows from Iris Van Herpen as well as Lebanon’s Georges Hobeika, among other labels.