The World Economic Forum in Davos is usually known for serious talks about the global economy. However, this year, it was all about French President Emmanuel Macron’s choice of eyewear. He walked onto the stage wearing a pair of bright blue, reflective aviator sunglasses and he didn’t take them off, even though he was indoors.
A high price tag for luxury
While the sunglasses looked like something out of a movie, they are actually a very expensive piece of luxury fashion. The glasses are a model called the Pacific S 01, made by the famous French brand Henry Jullien.
If you wanted to buy a pair yourself, you would need to spend €659. In Indian currency, that is approximately Rs 71,000. These glasses are part of the brand’s “Doublé Or” collection. They aren’t just plastic; they are made using gold-laminated acetate and are handmade in a specialized factory in France. The company revealed that they had actually gifted this specific pair to Macron last year.
US President Donald Trump poked Macron
The expensive look didn’t go unnoticed by other world leaders. US President Donald Trump, who spoke at the forum the following day, poked fun at the French President. “Macron, I watched him yesterday with those beautiful sunglasses. What the hell happened?” Trump asked, as the audience laughed.
To clear things up, Macron’s team explained that the glasses weren’t just for fashion. The President had a burst blood vessel in his eye and needed to protect it from the harsh, bright indoor lights of the conference hall.
Sales and searches skyrocket
Despite the high price of Rs 71,000, people are already trying to get their hands on them. As soon as photos of Macron hit the internet, Google searches for Henry Jullien glasses reached record highs. The company told reporters that they have been getting an “unusually high number of calls” from people asking about the aviators.
On social media, the look was a huge hit. Memes compared Macron to a character from Top Gun, and while some people thought the glasses were too flashy for a serious meeting, others thought the Rs 71,000 frames made him look like a ‘boss.’
