Lupita Nyong’o Is Joining Michael Kors in the Fight Against World Hunger

Six years ago Michael Kors launched his Watch Hunger Stop initiative with the United Nations World Food Program to raise funds and awareness around worldwide hunger. The goal is simple: to reach zero hunger everywhere. It’s a challenge Kors is up for tackling, too. The initiative has provided nearly 19 million meals thus far, and will reach 20 million in 2020. The reason everyone in fashion knows about it is because Kors was early to the fashion-as-activism movement: By creating covetable items to support the initiative—from the very first Watch Hunger Stop gold watch to more recent graphic T-shirts and tech accessories—Kors makes it easy and stylish to take a small action, and fans and customers all over the world are more aware of the issue because of it.

The inspiring celebrities he partners with have a significant impact too. Today, Kors is announcing as his new Watch Hunger Stop ambassador Lupita Nyong’o, an actress known as much for outspokenness on equality and women’s rights as she is her talent. “Lupita is smart, talented, compassionate, and strong, with an extraordinary ability to inspire others,” Kors tells Vogue. “I’m thrilled she has joined us in the fight against hunger. Her empathy, honesty, and commitment will make her a powerful force for change.”

Here, Nyong’o is photographed in this year’s new WHS T-shirt, and Kors also designed a tote; both are available in black and white and are printed simply with the word “Love,” referencing this year’s message, “Food is Love.” “My hope is that by adding my voice to the fight against hunger, I will help be a part of the solution and encourage others to take action as well,” Nyong’o says. “Fashion connects people, and it engages and inspires them, which makes it a perfect space for philanthropy. For many people, myself included, fashion is about self-expression, and the issues we care about are very much a part of how we define and express ourselves.”

Kors and Nyong’o both feel it’s important to draw connections between hunger and other issues, like education, which are inextricably linked. One of the WFP’s initiatives that Kors supports is the school meal program, which provides food to children who might otherwise go hungry and makes it possible for them to attend school in the first place by saving them the expense. “It not only feeds children but helps them get the education they need to break the cycle of poverty,” Kors says. “This is especially true for girls, who often don’t get the same educational opportunities as boys.” Nyong’o adds: “When students can eat, they perform better in school, which in turn leads to greater opportunities in life. In [that way], this program is facilitating better opportunities for women and girls on a daily basis.”

All profits from this year’s T-shirt and tote bag will be donated to the United Nations World Food Program, and an additional 100 meals will be donated for every selfie taken by a customer with their new item and the hashtag #WatchHungerStop. They’re available now on Kors’s website.