Copying Tom Cruise’s "Top Gun"? Acting tough to attract Trump? Macron’s sunglasses become the focus at Davos.

The scene of French President Macron taking the stage at the Davos Forum wearing reflective aviator sunglasses unexpectedly became the most eye-catching visual symbol on the global political stage. These blue-lensed sunglasses not only made front-page headlines in newspapers around the world but also triggered market fluctuations—the share price of the Italian company producing the sunglasses rose sharply on the Milan Stock Exchange.

On January 22, according to The Wall Street Journal, many people believed that Macron’s move was a tough signal to President Trump, especially against the backdrop of Trump’s demand to control Greenland. The sunglasses evoked images of Tom Cruise’s rebellious pilot "Maverick" in Top Gun, while others thought he was imitating former President Biden’s signature aviator sunglasses look. The UK’s Daily Telegraph even ran the headline: "Can Macron’s sunglasses save the West?"

According to the report, French officials revealed that the real reason Macron wore the sunglasses was to cover up ruptured blood vessels in his eye. Nevertheless, this styling, at a time when most European leaders are showing goodwill to Trump, unexpectedly fit the public’s expectation for a tougher stance.

According to reports, Trump himself also noticed this and remarked at Davos: "I saw him yesterday with those beautiful sunglasses. What happened? But I saw him, kind of tough." The move also sparked a meme craze on social media, with Macron being playfully nicknamed “France’s Maverick” by netizens, and unexpectedly bringing fame to a domestic French eyewear brand whose stock price surged and website crashed.

An Unexpected Political Theatre Effect

According to The Wall Street Journal, Macron’s sunglasses created an unplanned political spectacle at the Davos Forum. Analysts pointed out that these sunglasses provided exactly the right visual symbol for a European continent eager for more tough leadership gestures.

Social media quickly saw a surge of AI-generated memes. Macron was depicted as a fighter pilot, tailing Trump on Air Force One to the theme of Top Gun and giving the finger.

He was also styled as Sylvester Stallone wielding a machine gun in the 1986 action film Cobra. On social platforms, some users dubbed him "France’s Maverick."

The report noted that these sunglasses are considered the most influential political eyewear accessory since the 2008 Republican National Convention—when Sarah Palin’s rimless glasses sparked a buying frenzy at optical stores across the US.

A Coincidental Moment in Trump’s Changing Attitude

The report says that after Macron took the stage in sunglasses, Trump’s stance underwent a subtle shift. In his Wednesday speech at Davos, Trump stated that he would not use military force to take Greenland; later that day, US officials also dropped the threat of additional tariffs on European countries.

Although Macron’s sunglasses may have little to do with this shift, the timing coincidence still drew attention. Previously, with the opening of the Davos conference, Trump made public friendly texts from European leaders seeking to dissuade him from taking Greenland, a demand that had threatened NATO’s unity.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte promised to praise Trump’s plans in Ukraine, Gaza, and Syria when speaking to the media. Macron invited Trump and Russia to meet in Paris while stating: "I don’t understand your approach on the Greenland question."

Such displays of appeasement have drawn discontent from Trump critics on both sides of the Atlantic. California’s Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom stated: "I can’t bear this collusion. People are all giving in. I should bring knee pads for all the world leaders. It’s just so pathetic."

Unexpected Revival for a Small French Brand

The Wall Street Journal reported that the sunglasses that drew global attention came from Henry Jullien, a small French brand located in the foothills of the Jura Mountains near Switzerland, which had been on the verge of bankruptcy a few years ago. When the company went bankrupt, Italian eyewear company iVision Tech acquired it at the request of French authorities in 2023 to save a few jobs.

In 2024, one of Macron’s aides contacted the brand, saying the president wanted to buy 100% French-made sunglasses.

iVision selected for Macron a model with a gold-plated frame and blue lenses, retailing for over $700 and highly resistant to camera flashes that often bombard the president’s eyes. The company only found out that Macron planned to wear these sunglasses when he appeared at Davos this week.

On Wednesday, the Henry Jullien website crashed multiple times under tens of thousands of visitors. The company received a large number of orders for Macron’s model. "We decided to immediately restart production of this model," said Fulchir.

Some in the fashion industry questioned the choice of blue lenses as being too flashy and tacky. But others felt it suited Macron perfectly. Fashion designer Gracia Ventus commented:

"Setting aside the fact that wearing sunglasses on stage is strange, President Macron demonstrated how sunglasses should be worn—the width of the frame matched the width of his head."

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