I began this week’s article with a simple premise: Observe what people are wearing on the streets and report back with a list of the must-have items of summer 2016. However, my experiences trend-spotting offered an entirely different revelation: fashion as we know it is dead.

Now, I’m not saying what you wear doesn’t matter. In fact, your wardrobe choices are likely more important than ever before. Nevertheless, the culture of fashion has vanished; in its place, instead, is style.

Oscar De La Renta once noted that “Fashion is about dressing according to what's fashionable. Style is more about being yourself.” Historically, fashion has been dictated by a small group of influencers, largely made up of editors, designers and celebrities. From there, garments trickle down to a few early adopters, who are then followed by an increasing number of people as the style grows and expands.

Perhaps no one can offer an overview of the trend cycle than Miranda Priestly:

In the 10 years since the release of "The Devil Wears Prada," there have been a number of changes in the fashion process due to technology, industry shifts and the economic twists and turns of the past decade.

Technology has made the world smaller. This connectivity has allowed more individuals to fill the role of influencers. In a world where new trends can emerge and reach audiences instantly, what authority do magazines, or celebrities have to influence apparel choices? As the ease of becoming an influencer has increased, so has the competition. Social media is now inundated with different lifestyle bloggers, each with their own perspective and aesthetic tastes, thereby allowing customers to select which influencers to follow. The increased communication and specialization has allowed new trends to emerge at rapid speeds, within various demographics.

Fast-fashion retailers capitalize on the rapid speed of these trends, pumping out new merchandise in under two weeks, at little to no cost to the consumer. This swift turnaround further speeds up the adoption of new trends, thereby generating a self-fulfilling prophecy.

At the same time, brand names and labels have come the mean less than ever before. After the recession, customers have been leery of investing too heavily in their wardrobes. Thrift shopping has come to the forefront of style. Last year, Mansur Gavriel’s bucket bag, with its minimal design and $500 price tag, became the new It Bag, a title typically reserved for purses that retail at over $1,000. Discount retailers thrived while many traditional luxury lines have started to flounder. Even the most insufferable label lovers frequently combine cheap and designer apparel, melding the two price points to create one outfit. In the wake of these developments, and after a less-than-stellar fashion week, the luxury and exclusivity of fashion has begun to lose its glossy luster.

The shifts away from fashion are not a new occurrence. The style development known as normcore has been on the forefront of public radar for the past two years. Nevertheless, the full impact of this new evolution are only now being felt. Street style has become a lesson in distinctiveness as the city’s chicest seek to adopt the most eclectic assortment of clothes, rather than abiding by general overarching trends.

“In order to be irreplaceable, one must always be different.” It’s been almost a century since Coco Chanel uttered the iconic phrase; however, it remains particularly relevant.

Individuality has replaced the approval of influencers in differentiating an outfit. It no longer matters who’s wearing what. Instead, fashionistas showcase their originality and unique perspectives, through their clothing. The most notable ensembles are no longer the most chic but rather the most distinctive.

In order to survive in this post-apocalyptic sartorial realm, we have shed the old rules of apparel. Trends have faded from fashion, as each person abides by their own customized perception of what is cool.