This awards season, celebrities are taking to the red carpet with unprecedented political fervor.
Supporting the American Civil Liberties Union’s “Stand With the ACLU” campaign, stars like Ruth Negga, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Busy Phillips, Karlie Kloss and best director nominee for “Moonlight” Barry Jenkins appeared wearing blue pins that signify opposition to the Trump Administration’s planned policy changes.
The ACLU reached out to major nominees to wear these pins and, in doing so, sponsor its Constitution Defense Fund, which aims to enact a seven-point plan to combat Trump’s human and domestic rights platform.
Executive Director of the ACLU David Romero stated in a blog detailing the major points of the plan that “[The ACLU] will be the David to the federal government’s Goliath.”
He continues, “The first rock in our slingshot is a Freedom of Information Act request asking several government agencies to turn over documents relating to President Trump’s actual or potential conflicts of interest due to his business and family connections.
The American people deserve to know their president will govern in the best interest of the nation and not his self-interest.”
This step comprises the first point of the ACLU’s plan—demand government accountability and transparency. The other central objectives are to protect the rights of immigrants, defend reproductive rights, protect First Amendment rights and defend LGBT rights.
The ACLU was not the only politicized organization represented at the Oscars.
Emma Stone, clad in a gold, flapper-esque Givenchy dress, wore a Planned Parenthood pin fastened to her gown.
Dakota Johnson, wearing a cream-colored, high-necked Gucci gown, pinned the Planned Parenthood logo to her metallic Gucci clutch.
Stone and Johnson are not the first to use fashion as a platform to support the women’s health organization: a few weeks ago, during New York Fashion Week, the Council of Fashion Designers of America provided hot pink pins for attendees to wear in support of Planned Parenthood.
In addition to showing solidarity in the face of our turbulent political climate, attendees strived to minimize their ecological footprint when it came to clothing.
Priyanka Bose wore a Vivienne Westwood couture dress that recycled archival fabric from a previous collection.
This was done in collaboration with Suzy Amis Cameron, founder of Red Carpet Green Dress, a contest that challenges designers to create “green” designs.
Giorgio Armani also took part in the challenge: Emma Roberts wore a cream gown embroidered w/ flowers and crystals with black spaghetti straps, which was originally in Armani’s January 2005 collection.
While the movie mix-up with La La Land and Moonlight may have turned attention away from the Moonlight cast themselves, one designer is pulling them back into the spotlight.
Calvin Klein’s new advertising campaign will feature the stars of Moonlight: Mahershala Ali, Trevante Rhodes, Ashton Sanders, and Alex Hibbert. This will be only Raf Simons’ second ad campaign since he became chief creative officer in August 2016.
Rhodes, Sanders and Hibbert wore dark wool tuxedos designed by the brand to the award ceremony as well.
As we move forward, we can only hope that actors and designers alike will continue to take a stance.