Macron's glasses: the eye of the tiger in Davos

BarcelonaReality definitely surpasses fiction, especially in these times. And for a fashion analyst like myself, French President Emmanuel Macron appearing at the Davos economic forum wearing sunglasses like the ones he sported this Tuesday is almost a fantasy come true. However, accustomed as I am to scratching the surface to understand the underlying meanings in identity constructions, this case is so blatantly obvious that it makes it almost a childish exercise in analysis.

We already know that the reason for the glasses was medical: a slight hemorrhage in one of his eyes that made him photosensitive and had left it noticeably red. But it's clear that the choice of model wasn't accidental. He could have opted for the iconic Ray-Ban Wayfarers, with their youthful and rebellious air, made famous by Tom Cruise in Risky BusinessShe could also have opted for the functional elegance of the Persol 714s, which Steve McQueen made synonymous with controlled freedom. Even neutral, discreet glasses that didn't attract so much attention would have been a perfectly viable option.

However, Macron chooses a very specific style with an unequivocal meaning: the aviatorAnd these, in no case, are neutral or innocent. They come from the military and aviation worlds and are historically associated with authority, command, and the control of the gaze. It is no coincidence that Macron himself quipped to the press: "Just look at it as an unintentional reference to theEye of the Tiger"A song that, in itself, is a symbolic manual of fighting masculinity, and that's why it was the soundtrack of Rocky IIIThe song accompanies the protagonist as he tries to rekindle his fighting spirit. It features lyrics as raw and testosterone-fueled as "just a man and his will to survive," "Don't lose faith in the dreams of the past. You have to fight to keep them," and "It's the eye of the tiger, ready to fight. It rises to challenge its rival." The glasses, with their mirrored lenses, reinforce the idea of ​​opacity and are characterized by their ability to control the gaze: you don't know where power is looking, but power might be looking at you.

In a Europe that remains silent, hesitant, or calculating, Macron has filled the void left by Trump, especially since the US president's personal attacks transformed political disagreement into a leadership duel. It is therefore unsurprising that military references are multiplying. Trump has appeared on several occasions wearing the bomber jacket firefighterA piece also born in military aviation and which, over time, became a symbol of power and virility. Macron responds with glasses that link him to the aviators of Top Gun as with the paramilitary policeman who is fighting, precisely, against a group of supremacists in Cobra, the strong arm of the lawFigures, all of them, who do not dialogue, intervene.

And perhaps therein lies the problem: while leaders play at staging power as if it were a game of Risk, they forget that what is on the board are not pieces, but the lives of millions of people.