Fashion portfolio a mess? Invest in khaki

Who says no one wears khakis anymore?

Oh, right. I did.

Now, thanks to Gap, Vogue, a trio of this-minute designers and a handful of leggy supermodels, I'm eating crow.

Gap has unleashed its third annual Design Editions collection, in which the finalists for the Vogue/CFDA award -- a prize that celebrates up-and-coming talents -- riff on a classic Gap item.

The past two years' collections focused on new evolutions of the crisp white shirt, menswear and jewelry. This year, though, designers Vena Cava, Alexander Wang and Albertus Swanepoel were commissioned to spin runway-worthy looks from that most utilitarian cloth, Gap's very genetic material: khaki.

I have to hand it to Gap: the results are fabulous. The collection doesn't just offer three updated, trendy takes on khakis -- there are jackets, dresses, even fedoras. The collection ranges from $39.50 to $88, which means it presents an opportunity for average-spending people to bring ultrahigh-end names into their wardrobe.