Sunglass Swagger In Davos: Macron’s Rs 70,000 Shades Spark Memes And A Stock Pop

Last Updated:January 21, 2026, 20:25 IST

The French leader’s office later said the sunglasses were worn for medical reasons, explaining that Macron was protecting his eyes due to a burst blood vessel.

The eyewear was identified as the Pacific S 01 model from French luxury brand Henry Jullien.

French President Emmanuel Macron found himself at the centre of an unexpected style-and-politics crossover after his choice of aviator sunglasses at the World Economic Forum sparked a flurry of memes, debates and admiration online. Macron addressed global political and business leaders at the annual gathering in Davos wearing dark, reflective aviator-style sunglasses indoors, a look that quickly drew comparisons to the 1986 film Top Gun and set social media buzzing.

The French leader’s office later said the sunglasses were worn for medical reasons, explaining that Macron was protecting his eyes due to a burst blood vessel. The eyewear was identified as the Pacific S 01 model from French luxury brand Henry Jullien, which said it had gifted the sunglasses to Macron in 2024.

Priced at 659 euros, the model is part of the brand’s Doublé Or collection and features gold-laminated acetate with a bold, structured silhouette.

Social Media Reacts To Macron’s Sunglasses

Macron’s appearance quickly overshadowed parts of his speech online, with memes and commentary flooding X and other platforms. Some users praised the look as confident and commanding while critics dismissed it as theatrical or questioned why sunglasses were worn indoors.

References to Top Gun were widespread. One user posted, “Trump: be careful… Macron is here," alongside an image of the French president in aviators. Another asked whether he “could not find more sober glasses." Even Macron’s political allies joined the fun. France’s European affairs minister Benjamin Haddad shared a meme riffing on the “Soyboy vs Yes Chad" format, depicting a sunglass-wearing Macron draped in a French flag.

The viral moment translated into real-world impact for Henry Jullien. Online searches for the brand surged globally, according to Google Trends. A spokesperson for the company said it had received an “unusually high number of calls" following Macron’s appearance. Shares of its parent company, iVision Tech, rose nearly 6%.

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