Safilo and Fossil together until 2018

They announced the renewal of their optical frame licensing agreement and add sunglasses globally Safilo Group, worldwide leader in the premium eyewear sector, and Fossil Group, Inc., the global lifestyle company specializing in consumer fashion accessories, announce the renewal of their eyewear licensing agreement for the design, manufacturing and distribution of FOSSIL branded optical frames and the addition of sunglasses.   The new agreement now runs until December 31st, 2018 and has been extended to include global distribution. The previous agreement for optical frames covered only the U.S and Canada.   "Fossil is an extraordinary partner and we are very satisfied with the results we have achieved in North America over the past few years," said Roberto Vedovotto, CEO of Safilo Group. "We are truly convinced that there is still significant potential to be exploited all over the world with a brand which represents its authentic vintage style in such a comprehensive way. With the aim to further reinforce their collaboration in order to achieve faster growth in the eyewear category we believe there are important opportunities for development, particularly in EMEA and Latin America, but also in Asia where the brand is already successful."   Kosta N. Kartsotis, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Fossil Group, Inc. commented: "Safilo has been a great partner for us and we are excited to add the sunglass category and expand optical frames to the global market. This licensing agreement will allow us to leverage Safilo's expertise and distribution to increase our FOSSIL brand global eyewear offerings."