Macron's ₹70,000 sunglasses at WEF in Davos sparks buzz, grabs Trump's attention - 'What the hell happened?'

French President Emmanuel Macron was the centre of attention at the World Economic Forum underway in Davos, Switzerland, for his striking pair of blue reflective aviator sunglasses, which he wore indoors while addressing world leaders.

The sunglasses not only sent social media into a frenzy but also drew reaction from US President Donald Trump, who addressed the forum today amid rising tensions between the US and Europe.

“Macron, I watched him yesterday with those beautiful sunglasses. What the hell happened,” Trump said, as the audience broke into laughter.

The French presidency later clarified that the sunglasses were worn for health-related reasons, stating that Macron was shielding his eyes after a blood vessel had ruptured. The glasses were identified as the Pacific S 01, a design by French luxury eyewear label Henry Jullien, which revealed that the pair had been presented to Macron as a gift in 2024.

Retailing at €659 (approximately ₹70,600– ₹71,000), the sunglasses belong to the brand’s Doublé Or range and are crafted from gold-laminated acetate, distinguished by a striking, structured design.

Macron’s look soon became a bigger talking point online than parts of his address, as social media platforms, including X, were flooded with memes and reactions. While some users applauded the style, calling it assertive and powerful, others criticised it as performative or questioned the choice to wear sunglasses indoors. The eyewear also sparked widespread comparisons to the 1986 film Top Gun.

One post read, “Trump: be careful… Macron is here,” paired with an image of the French leader in aviator sunglasses, while another user wondered whether he “could not find more sober glasses.” The moment was even embraced by Macron’s supporters. France’s Minister for European Affairs, Benjamin Haddad, joined in by sharing a meme inspired by the “Soyboy vs Yes Chad” format, showing Macron in sunglasses and wrapped in the French tricolour.

Global online interest in Henry Jullien eyewear also jumped sharply, reaching its highest point on Wednesday morning, data from Google Trends showed. A brand representative told Reuters that the company had been inundated with “an unusually high number of calls.”

Meanwhile, shares of iVision Tech rose by nearly 6% on Wednesday.