An indoor stage, a world leader and a pair of reflective aviator sunglasses were all it took to hijack the narrative at the World Economic Forum in Davos. When Emmanuel Macron appeared before global leaders and business elites wearing sunglasses, the image spread within seconds, prompting curiosity, speculation and a wave of online commentary that quickly overshadowed his speech.
Why the sunglasses?
The choice immediately raised eyebrows. Why would a head of state wear reflective aviators indoors at one of the world’s most scrutinised economic gatherings? For many watching online, the visual disruption proved irresistible. Macron’s remarks on trade, European resilience and global rules faded into the background as social media focused on his appearance.
The answer was less dramatic than the rumours suggested. The French president has been dealing with a sub-conjunctival haemorrhage, a harmless burst blood vessel in the eye that can occur after coughing, sneezing or rubbing the eye, and which often looks far worse than it is.
From health issue to internet folklore
As ever, the internet filled the information gap at speed. Speculation ranged from boxing injuries to tongue-in-cheek references to domestic mishaps, while memes and captions multiplied across platforms. The irony was striking: an accessory chosen to deflect attention from a minor medical issue ended up magnifying it.
Macron chose to address the matter directly. At the start of his speech, he apologised for the appearance of his eye, reassuring the audience that it was completely harmless. He even injected humour into the moment, joking about an unintentional reference to Eye of the Tiger, framing the look as a symbol of determination rather than concealment.
The message that struggled to land
The timing could hardly have been more delicate. In his address, Macron warned against a “world without rules” and criticised the escalation of new customs duties, calling on Europe not to submit to the law of the strongest. Without naming names, his message was widely read as a response to the increasingly confrontational tone of global politics.
Yet outside the conference hall, attention remained fixed on the sunglasses. In the age of image-led discourse, the optics proved more memorable than the substance.
Made in France, priced for attention
The story took another turn when the sunglasses were identified. Unlike the mass-market eyewear often favoured by other leaders, Macron’s aviators came from Maison Henry Jullien, a historic French manufacturer founded in 1921.
The model, Pacific S 01 Double Or Palladium, retails at €659 and is available in grey, blue and brown. Following the viral spread of images from Davos, the brand confirmed a surge in online traffic significant enough to disrupt its website.
Based in Lons-le-Saunier in the Jura region, the company’s designs and production remain rooted in France, despite its acquisition by Italian owners in 2023. Unintentionally, Macron had delivered a global advertisement for French craftsmanship.