Just call it the Macron effect. 

French luxury eyewear brand Henry Jullien is experiencing an unexpected surge in popularity, following French President Emmanuel Macron’s aviator flex at the annual World Economic Forum in Davos on Wednesday.

Photos of Macron in his statement shades went viral, spawning countless memes and comments with references to ‘80s films such as Top Gun, Cobra, and Terminator. Even President Trump mentioned his “beautiful glasses” during his address in Davos. There was also much speculation surrounding Macron’s decision to wear sunglasses while making a speech indoors. His office later explained it was to protect a burst blood vessel in his right eye, as reported by Reuters. 

The attention soon turned to the glasses themselves. Henry Jullien attracted so much interest that the brand’s website crashed and was down for most of the day, according to The Guardian. (It has now launched a temporary page dedicated to purchasing the model Macron wore.) iVision Tech, the Italian company that owns Henry Jullien, was also impacted: Shares were almost 28 percent higher on Thursday, adding about $4.1 million to the company’s market cap. This “certainly created a wow effect on the stock,” iVision Tech CEO ‍Stefano Fulchir told Reuters.

iVision acquired Henry Jullien in 2023, but the French maison was founded back in 1921. A small team of 10 artisans works at the factory in the heart of Jura, France. Each pair of glasses is assembled by hand, requiring up to four months of work to complete. The maison is perhaps best known for its gold-filled frames, created using a time-honored technique in which ​​the gold is bonded with the base metal. That makes the glasses stronger and more durable than gold-plated alternatives. “This is not ordinary eyewear; it’s a luxury product that won’t break after two years and that can be used for a long time,” Fulchir told The Guardian. “It’s an investment, like jewellery, like a watch.”

Macron’s aviators, the Pacific S 01, retail for 659 euros ($770). His office contacted Henry Jullien in 2024, requesting one pair for him and another for a diplomatic gift during the G20 summit. “I said I would be happy to send him a pair but they said no,” Fulchir told The Guardian. “He did not accept them as a gift, but wanted to purchase them personally.” Henry Jullien produces only about 1,000 of this style a year, but that number is sure to rise now thanks to the Macron effect.