Foster Grant™, iconic American eyewear brand, to adorn India’s faces

Sonakshi Sinha, Bollywood’s Golden Girl,to be brand ambassadorin India

MUMBAI, February18^th, 2015 –FGX International, a leading eyewear designer and marketer, marks its foray into India with the launch of Foster Grant™ Signature, the company’s iconic 85 year old brand!  Taking forward the Brand’s storied history of working with iconic Hollywood stars, FGX International is pleased to be associated with one of India’s leading Bollywood stars, Sonakshi Sinha, to be the face of the brand in India.

Foster Grant™ is a brand that promises the meeting of classic American style with unstoppable performance. The Foster Grant Signature collection will include both sunglasses as well as optical frames. Discerning consumers will enjoy superior styling, performance grade eyewear from Foster Grant Signature, with its wondrous heritage and rich history for which the brand is known. Foster Grant Signature celebrates classic and timeless design meshed with modern trends to give consumers the opportunity to express themselves. All the collections meet the highest quality standards, and sunglasses provide 100% UVA/UVB sun protection.

Commenting on FGX International’s entry in the Indian eyewear market, Mr. Matthew Panucci, Executive Vice President of International Markets, FGX Internationalsaid, “We have assessed the unique needs of the Indian consumer and the fit with our brands. We are thrilled to be expanding into India in order to help meet the vast opportunity in the sunglasses category, and to satisfy consumers’ growing desire for contemporary sunglasses and optical frames. This is an exciting milestone for FGX International, and we are committed to partnering with the Indian trade to drive category growth and increase consumer acceptance and usage of sunglasses.”

“I am honored to be working with a brand with such a strong legacy,” said Sonakshi Sinha. “There’s a rich history behind Foster Grant and I’m happy to be an integral part of the team as they begin their exciting journey in India.The Foster Grant Signature collection embodies today's lifestyle, where eyewear is no longer just a necessity, but an expression of a person's personality and will soon gain favour as an important, stylish and chic accessory.”

She adds, “The ‘Who’s that behind those Foster Grants?’ tagline is such a recognizable piece of pop culture and I look forward to giving it shape in India in partnership with the Foster Grant team here.”

In India, the Foster Grant Signature collection will be available through opticians, opticalretail chains, and departmental stores, and will be supported with an advertising campaign featuring their brand ambassador – Sonakshi Sinha, to reach out and engage with the style conscious clientele in India.

FGX International is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Essilor International, the world’s leading ophthalmic optics company,whose mission is improving lives by improving sight.FGX International holds an impressive portfolio of highly recognized owned and licensed eyewear brands, most notably, Foster Grant, which is historically acclaimed as the original American sunglasses company since selling its first pair in 1929. Foster Grant celebrated 85 years of rich history and celebrity heritage in 2014 as the first sunglasses brand in the United States.   Foster Grant remains the number one selling sunglasses brand in the United States, and a top 5 selling brand in the world.

About FGX International

FGX International Inc. is a leading designer and marketer of non-prescription sunglassesand reading glasses with a portfolio of established, highly recognized eyewear brands including Foster Grant®, Ryders®,Magnivision®, Gargoyles®, Corinne McCormack®, SolarShield®, and Polinelli®. FGXI also holds licenses for brands such as Reebok®, Revlon®, Ironman®, Dockers®, Nine West®, and Panama Jack®. Based in Smithfield, Rhode Island in the United States, FGXI has approximately 500 full time employees. Additional offices are located in New York City; San Luis Obispo, California; Toronto; Vancouver;Milan; Stoke-on-Trent, England; Mexico City; and Shenzhen, China. FGX International is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Essilor International.For more information about Foster Grant Signature, please visit the www.fostergrant.in website

About Essilor

Essilor is the world leader in ophthalmic optics. From design to production, the company has developed a wide range of lenses to correct and protect vision. Its mission is improving lives by improving sight. The company invests more than €150 million per year in research and innovation to offer increasingly high-performance products. Its leading brands include Varilux®, Crizal®, Transitions®, Definity®, Xperio®, Optifog™, Foster Grant®, Bolon® and Costa®. Essilor also develops and markets equipment, instruments and services for optical professionals.For more information, please visit the www.essilor.com website.