With the ubiquity of CCTV and iPhone cameras, the all-black uniform is often a means to keep authorities from identifying and prosecuting participants. Fashion is often dismissed as a shallow world of conspicuous consumption and celebrity endorsements, but for many, clothing can have serious political implications. "Westwood really understood that interesting fashion statements come from the streets and from the body politic, not from the designers," Tynan said. If fashion speaks loud enough, then policy can change," he told CNN in an email. "I find hope in the thought that art usually becomes a voice of dissent in times like this."

Source: CNN February 28, 2017 11:33 UTC