Been There, Done That : ...

Pre-hip is in.

Pop culture prognosticators say hip is dead because it has gone mainstream--and therefore can’t be hip.

“It would be a mistake to declare the death of hip and say that nothing new is happening in America,” says Marian Salzman, director of emerging media for Chiat/Day/Mojo Inc. Advertising.

“What is dead is the posture of hip. The idea that something is truly avant-garde. What is cool today is to recognize the connection between what’s going on right now and what went on in the past. Nostalgia is very important.”

That means the return of glamour, satin, martinis and tiki bars, says Van Buren designer Maggie Barry.

“There’s also the irony of us getting into--I don’t want to say trailer-type things--but mashed potatoes and weird funny things like Spam,” Barry says. “People are discovering great things that are fattening.”

Even as sensibility looks backward, technology pushes forward, and status-minded youth are blowing off fancy cars and designer clothes for cutting-edge electronics, Salzman says. “For those at the top of the heap, each month brings new must-have add-ons and upgrades.”