Top drawer

The new Honey Ryder

• Who she is: Tonia Gassmann

• What she’s wearing: vintage-inspired patch-pocket jeans, biker boots, a thick purple scarf, an embossed leather belt she purchased in a thrift shop five years ago, and a leather holster housing the knife she uses for work.

• Why we love it: Like Ursula Andress in Dr. No, Tonia knows the best way to get a job done is to strap a blade to her hip. But, unlike the Bond girl of yore, our blue-collar fashionista doesn’t need a skimpy bikini to accessorize the tools of her trade — just a classic belt, all-purpose jeans and a pair of boots made for kicking butts and taking numbers.

Try this on

Recycled wear has gone beyond second-hand finds at thrift shops. Up-and-coming designers are turning cast-off clothing into edgy, re-imagined ensembles with high-fashion sensibilities. Here are the labels to look for:

• Asheville artist Myah Hubbell’s Recyclone line is 100% post-consumer wear, primarily for women but with increasing offerings for men and children. Look for superhero and fantasy-inspired garb in bright colors and patterns at Honeypot (86 N. Lexington Ave.), Woolworth Walk (25 Haywood St.) and www.recyclone.org; or visit her River Arts District studio for custom sales. Info at 255-4666.

• Rags Reborn Eco Chic Boutique (1 Walnut St., 253-4488) carries recycled-wear skirts by German company Baum Baum — or order online at www.gobaumbaum.com. Looking for bags? The shop also features handcrafted totes by Endless Possibilities, a cottage industry that supports a domestic-violence shelter and other services (info at www.ragweavers.com).

• Honeypot stocks a wide array of recycled items by Asheville artists Anatomic, Spectacle and Tie One Totes; and New Orleans designer Howlpop.