Emmanuel Macron's aviator sunglasses have caught the public's attention, with social media users discussing his "Top Gun" look after he criticized US President Donald Trump over Greenland during a speech in Davos.
Addressing the global elite at the annual World Economic Forum in the Swiss mountain resort of Davos on Tuesday, the French president wore dark, reflective glasses, which French luxury brand Henry Jullien said were gifted to him in 2024.
Macron's office said the decision to wear glasses during the speech, which was held indoors, was made to protect his eyes from a ruptured blood vessel. They did not confirm the brand of the glasses, Reuters reports.
After the speech, memes, comments, and speculation about Macron's appearance quickly spread on social media: some of his supporters praised his style, while opponents dismissed it as bombastic or speculated about his health.
One meme, titled "Duel in Davos," was made as a parody of the film "Top Gun": Macron and Trump look at each other, both in military flight suits, and Macron - who looks very small next to Trump - is wearing oversized aviator glasses.
References to the 1986 film, starring Tom Cruise, were everywhere.
"Trump: watch out... Macron is here," one user wrote on X, alongside a photo of the French president wearing aviator sunglasses. "Couldn't he have found some more serious glasses?" asked another.
The Italian right-wing newspaper Libero called Macron a "great braggart."
Even some of Macron's aides got in on the joke: European Affairs Minister Benjamin Haddad posted a version of the "Soyboy vs Yes Chad" meme, in which "Chad" wears aviator sunglasses and is draped in a French flag.
According to Google Trends, global searches for Henry Jullien eyewear also surged, peaking around 7 a.m. Wednesday morning. A spokesperson for the brand said the company was receiving an unusually high number of calls.
The French luxury brand, owned by the Italian group iVision Tech, said the model Macron wore was the Pacific S 01, and it costs 659 euros on its website.
iVision Tech shares rose nearly 6 percent on Wednesday.
During the speech, Macron described as "fundamentally unacceptable" Washington's threat to impose new tariffs, including on French wine and champagne, to break European resolve and force Europe to buy Greenland.
Macron said that France would stand up to "thugs".
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