“Time flies by…it’s been beautiful,” late creative director of Chanel, Karl Lagerfeld, wrote in a 2014 letter, reminiscing on the death of his longtime partner, Jacques de Bascher, 25 years ago.
That letter is just one of many from the fashion legend displayed in Rome’s Spazio Opis gallery from May 7 to July 30, 2026. The C’était Bien exhibit was created from more than 600 correspondences Lagerfeld sent to Armelle de Bascher, Jacques’ mother, after he died of AIDS in 1989. Jacques, a French socialite, was Lagerfeld’s love and muse for 19 years, inspiring Lagerfeld through his style, intellect and blasé lifestyle among fashion’s elite.
Bascher’s influence is seen in his early works for Chanel. The designer gave Chanel new life from the 1980s on after the fashion house almost declined into obscurity, which earned him a place as a legend in the industry. He died in 2019, leaving behind a vast legacy but also little knowledge about his personal life. He was famously rigid, harsh and at times controversial, earning him the nickname “Kaiser Karl.”
Though Lagerfeld held a deep love for Bascher, he told Libération journalist Maria Ottavi for her book Jacques de Bascher, dandy de l’ombre: “I infinitely loved that boy, but I had no physical contact with him.” Lagerfeld indulged Bascher’s lavish lifestyle, while Bascher fed Lagerfeld’s creativity.
Armelle was the only person Lagerfeld could share his grief with. Jacques’ granddaughter, Emilie Grangie, inherited the letters and shared them with the exhibit’s creator, Richard Mogni.
Rome was an important city for Lagerfeld, and in 1993, he wrote after returning from the city. “Here are some flowers for you and also for our dear Jacquot, whom we miss so much.”
