Karl Lagerfeld rarely talks about his former or current loves, but he's opened up about his ex-boyfriend, Jacques de Bascher, in a new book.

Marie Ottavi's new tome, Jacques de Bascher, dandy de l'ombre ("Jacques de Bascher, shadow dandy") is a portrait of the cultivated, aristocratic Frenchman, who was known for his elegance, debauched parties and sharp tongue.

However, in an extract published by WWD, Lagerfeld says that—despite being together for 18 years during the '70s and '80s—the two never had sex.

"I infinitely loved that boy but I had no physical contact with him. Of course, I was seduced by his physical charm," he said.

The Chanel creative director remained loyal to his boyfriend (despite his well-known affair with Yves Saint Laurent) until he died of AIDS in 1989 at the age of 38. He slept in a cot next to Bascher's hospital bedside.

Lagerfeld was drawn to Bascher's decadence and irresistible wildness; they were complete opposites.

"I'm a total puritan, but I found Jacques' adventures amusing," the designer explains in the book. "We couldn't be further apart. I am a Calvinist toward myself, and totally indulgent toward others."

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"Of course I knew about the affair with Saint Laurent. I had been close friends with Yves for more than 20 years. We used to go out in the early days with Anne-Marie Munoz and Victoire Doutreleau. Pierre [Berge, Saint Laurent's long-term partner] smashed that to bits. He said I engineered their liaison to destabilize the house of Saint Laurent," he added.

Although he was aware of his partner's wild streak, he turned a blind eye to his partner's promiscuity and perverse tendencies, which included locking Saint Laurent in a closet as part of their BDSM sex games.

"I didn't hold him accountable. I only wanted to see the bright side of Jacques," he said. "I was unaware of what he kept in the shadows. He would tell me about what he did when I wasn't around, but I didn't ask questions."

From: Harper's BAZAAR UK
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Ella Alexander
Ella Alexander is Harper’s Bazaar's Deputy Digital Editor. She writes across all sections, covering fashion, arts and feminism – from fashion features and shopping galleries to celebrity interviews and long-form opinion pieces. She lives in South London and has an ardent love for Keith Richards, Gary Barlow, AA Gill, George Orwell and Patti Smith (not in order). Her favourite film is The Labyrinth, mostly because of David Bowie, and she is distinguishable through her self-titled ‘Jeremy Corbyn baker boy hat’. She recently achieved relative fame after the Clooneys named their twins, Ella and Alexander, after her.