Chanel : This is undoubtedly the best known of the great French fashion houses. Today, Karl Lagerfeld is still designing in a way that upholds the spirit of Coco Chanel, long svelte silhouettes, fluid dresses, combined with tweed, the founder's talismanic material and mark of identity. Stylish and elegant with no false notes. © AFP

Dior : Dior has retained the sense of the spectacle from the explosive collections of John Galliano who has been dismissed. Worthy successors of the visionary Christian Dior, its High Fashion creations always come as a surprise: structured or vaporous dresses, with just enough extravagance to never be ordinary. © AFP

Jean-Paul Gaultier : "The wild child" of French fashion likes breaking the rules: tattooed models, unstructured dresses and shocking colours. For this designer, nothing is forbidden and his energy attracts pop stars like Madonna and Lady Gaga. High fashion like a high wire act. © AFP

Givenchy : Founded in 1952 by Hubert de Givenchy, the Maison Givenchy quickly became one of the great names of Parisian fashion, patronised by film stars like Audrey Hepburn and Grace Kelly. Today, the fashion house's know-how, its skill with sumptuous details, still illuminates the catwalk. © AFP

Christophe Josse : For Christophe Josse, femininity is a combination of delicacy and romanticism. So the dresses he creates are styled in that way, like jewel cases to display women. The designer entered into the exclusive world of High Fashion in 2011 and presents collections with meticulous details that represent a labour of Hercules. © AFP