It's date night for Mark Ruffalo and Sunrise Coigney ♥️ #GoldenGlobes pic.twitter.com/jrwG4SGJUe
— Golden Globes (@goldenglobes) January 12, 2026
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Fashion has long been a battleground for political expression, and the 2026 Hollywood awards season has proved no different. At the most recent televised ceremonies, the red Artists4Ceasefire pin, a glossy circle featuring an orange hand with a black heart and the “ICE OUT” pin became the uniform for celebrities like Mark Ruffalo, Billie Eilish, and Ramy Youssef.
All three artists have used their red carpet interviews to highlight political, economic and cultural current events. Mark Ruffalo called out U.S. President Donald Trump’s response to the most recent death of Renee Nicole Good who was shot and killed by an ICE (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement) agent in Minneapolis weeks ago.
In response to questions about his pin on the Golden Globes carpet, Ruffalo said, “We’re in the middle of a war with Venezuela that we illegally invaded. [Trump’s] telling the world that international law doesn’t matter to him. The only thing that matters to him is his own morality, but the guy is a convicted felon, a convicted rapist.”
Hailey and Justin Bieber, were also seen wearing stripped down, black outfits and sporting matching contrasting white “ICE OUT” pins.
The pin is a study in “sartorial diplomacy” said celebrity stylist and Parsons School of Design professor, Daniel Drak. He says wearing one allows an artist to signal a stance on the Israel-Palestine conflict without triggering the wrap-up music or the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) delay button.
However, even this silent protest has its counter-symbols. The yellow ribbon pins, coordinated by organizations like Bring Them Home, whose website says they are dedicated to honouring the hostages and families that have gone missing as a result of the conflict between Israel and Palestine, have appeared alongside the red, creating a silent battle of the lapels that reflects the deeply polarized state of global discourse.
“The political climate is so intense at the moment that every stance whether it’s a pin or an entire get-up against political repression is needed. However I can’t help but wonder why [stylists and celebrities] aren’t doing more to drive the point home,” said Drak.
A combination of prioritizing palletability to the masses and still trying to create a cohesive look that wears and photographs well, Drak said he understands the pressure and fear that can go into creating a vocal look.
“Fashion is politics and the world has known it forever. It’s scary to speak up through art and fashion, but when it is hardest to speak up it’s usually the most critical time to speak,” said Drak.
In the music world, the visual language can be less subtle. At the Grammys and the Brit Awards, artists like Jacob Alon have draped themselves in the Palestinian keffiyeh during crowd shots, while others, like Montana Tucker turned her dress into the yellow ribbon representing antisemitism, making it the focal point of a look rather than having the political message be restricted to the top of the shoulder.
Juno award-winning artist, Ebhoni Jade Cato-O’Garr, known by her stage name Sadboi, has spent time doing work in both the acting and music industries, releasing her debut EP at 17 and releasing short-form video and fashion content.
A dual citizen of both Canada and the United States, Cato-O’Garr has spoken up against antiblack racism and the Trump administration since his first term. Vocal online via her social media accounts, O’Garr now has GoFundMe fundraisers she publicizes through her email subscription. The money, according to O’Garr goes directly to supporting displaced ICE detainees in the US.
“It’s scary to feel like you’re the only one speaking up, but as artists, it’s our job to continue hard conversations… we need to remember art is political, and artists we need to back our politics,” said O’Garr in an interview with OTR.
Looking toward the Oscars, as awards season comes to a close, industry experts like Drak say, “it’s important to keep holding artists and art to a high standard, to voice concerns when communities aren’t being represented or protected and to realize that fashion is the most universal language, so let’s have these conversations, let’s talk.”
In producing this story we used Google Gemini to help organize our points and ideas for an outline.
