Macron effect! Website crashes after French president’s sunglasses go viral

The World Economic Forum in Davos went beyond discussions on the global economy when French President Emmanuel Macron made a 007-like entry on Tuesday (20 Jan)

.More than his words, it was his aviator sunglasses that grabbed all the attention.

Macron’s appearance made the entire internet buzz, with many joking about his looks. Meanwhile, others were busy guessing the reason behind his Tom Cruise-like appearance. Some even joked that he might have been injured while working out. No matter what people guessed, the truth was only an eye issue.

The French president wore the shades to cover a harmless eye issue. However, this minor issue ended up crashing the website of the sunglasses brand that became the highlight of Davos 2026.

Sales at Maison Henry Jillien shot up, and Stefano Fulchir, president of iVision Tech, the company that owns Henry Jullien, said the website crashed due to overwhelming traffic.

Speaking to The Guardian, Stefano said he first learned about the news when French opticians called him, saying, “The president’s wearing our glasses!”

Picture of a PACIFIC S 01 Photograph: (Website/Maison-henry-jullien)

Soon after the news spread, the company’s website remained down for most of the day as people were interested in buying the glasses, which are hand assembled and made using what iVision calls an “ancient technique.”

“My first reaction can be summed up in three letters: wow! It has not been a typical day. I feel very honoured that the president is wearing our glasses,” he said.

When did Macron buy the glasses?

In 2024, Macron bought a pair of sunglasses after his office contacted the company to purchase a pair of Pacific S 01 Double Gold sunglasses as a diplomatic gift.

When Fulchir learned that the president wanted the glasses, the company offered them as a gift. However, the president refused and said he wanted to purchase them.

“I said I would be happy to send him a pair but they said no. He did not accept them as a gift, but wanted to purchase them personally. The French president paid a lot of attention to whether the glasses were entirely made in France,'' he said.

The sunglasses are no ordinary pair, and as Stefano said, it's more of an investment. The shades come with a hefty price tag. If you want to buy them, you will have to shell out €659 (approximately Rs 71,000).