Macron's 'Top Gun' shades win the internet as leaders wrangle over Greenland

Macron's Sunglasses and Their Impact

DAVOS, Switzerland, Jan 21 (Reuters) - Emmanuel Macron's aviator sunglasses have caught the eye, with social media users debating his choice of a "Top Gun" look as he criticised U.S. President Donald Trump over Greenland during his speech in Davos.

Speaking to global elites at the annual World Economic Forum in the Swiss mountain resort of Davos on Tuesday, the French president wore the dark, reflective sunglasses which French luxury eyewear brand Henry Jullien said it had gifted to him in 2024.

Macron's office said the choice to wear sunglasses during his speech, which took place indoors, was to protect his eyes because of a burst blood vessel. It did not confirm the brand of the glasses.

Social Media Reactions

Memes, comments and speculation over Macron's appearance surged on social media after his speech, with some supporters praising his look and opponents dismissing it as bombastic or speculating about his health.

One meme, with the headline "Duel in Davos," was styled like a Top Gun parody, with Macron and Trump looking at each other, both wearing military-style flight suits, and Macron, looking very small next to Trump, sporting oversized aviator sunglasses.

References to the 1986 movie starring Tom Cruise were ubiquitous.

"Trump: be careful ... Macron is here," one social media user said on X, with a picture of the French president with the aviator glasses. "Could he not find some more sober glasses?" another user asked.

Italian right-wing newspaper Libero called Macron a "great braggart".

Even some of Macron's colleagues got in on the act, with European affairs minister Benjamin Haddad posting a version of the 'Soyboy vs Yes Chad' meme with Chad donning aviators and draped in a French flag. 

Worldwide searches for Henry Jullien glasses also surged, peaking around 7 a.m. on Wednesday, according to Google Trends. A spokesperson for the brand said the company was receiving an unusually high numbers of calls.

Economic Implications

The French luxury firm, owned by Italian group iVision Tech, said the model worn by Macron was its Pacific S 01, with a price tag of 659 euros ($770) on its website.

Shares in iVision Tech were up almost 6% on Wednesday.

Brand Impact

During his speech, Macron described as "fundamentally unacceptable" Washington's threat to impose new tariffs, including on French wine and champagne, to bend Europe's resolve and allow it to buy Greenland. 

Macron promised France will stand up to "bullies". 

(Reporting by Alessandro Parodi, additional reporting by Elizabeth Pineau and Sybille de La Hamaide, editing by Ingrid Melander and Toby Chopra)