Gigi concedes she is aware that the women in her family are unusual in that they never marry, but remains puzzled by it.Īlicia then advises Gigi of the importance of recognizing expensive jewelry and cautions her never to accept second-rate baubles or men. When Gigi laments that she is never allowed to accept invitations and has no friends, Alicia explains that she is not to mingle with ordinary people who live ordinary lives. Meanwhile, at her weekly etiquette lessons with her regal great-aunt Alicia, Gigi struggles to stifle her natural buoyancy while learning about the intricacies of dining. Alvarez, Gigi's grandmother and guardian. To Honoré's surprise, Gaston admits the only place that he can relax is at the modest flat of Honoré `s former paramour, Mme. Later, Honoré meets his elegant nephew Gaston, the wealthy heir to a sugar empire, who declares his weariness at being the center of Paris society. In 1900 Paris, Honoré Lachaille, elderly connoisseur of beauty and fashion, strolls through the Bois de Bologne, appreciating the splendor of youth personified by spirited school girl Gigi Alvarez.