Deadly Ponies celebrates 20 years in business this year. Devotees of the label, including actors Antonia Prebble and Grace Palmer, celebrate with stories about their favourite pieces, from purses to statement bags and footwear.
Shearling handbags, soft-toy bag charms and embossed leather slingbacks – over their , Liam Bowden and Steve Boyd have experimented with all sorts of forms and functions.
Their playful approach to luxury accessories has created a vibrant and varied portfolio. Here, local fans and friends of the label share their favourite pieces and why they love them.
Grace Palmer
The actor (Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairoa) reaches for a formative bag on an everyday basis.
For my 18th birthday, I was given my first Deadly Ponies handbag. I was SO HAPPY, as I’d been admiring it for months. Nearly 13 years later, I still have that bag, and it’s still totally iconic. Steve and Liam are visionaries. They put passion and careful consideration into every piece, and it shows. I have since added many DP pieces to my collection, and they’ve all stood the test of time.
Portia Prince
The creative celebrates Deadly Ponies’ playful pieces.
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Advertise with NZME.When I moved here from London, I missed a lot of my bold-statement brands and Deadly always delivers, while remaining timeless: beautifully crafted products that always put an outfit together. It’s hard to pick a favourite but I am still so in love with my shearling Mr Cinch. My daughter is already eyeing it up and she’s only 6.
Ashleigh Cometti
Nostalgia reigns for Viva beauty editor’s perfect party purse.
I partied during a time where the dress code for going “out out” was business casual – where peplum tops were paired with bandage skirts and Jeffery Campbell boots you could hear coming from a mile away. This later morphed into the era of embellishment, where oversized accessories met corset-style faux leather tops. My go-to bag during this time was my Deadly Ponies Mr Cub Chain, a perfectly sized crossbody bag perfect for housing my phone, wallet, multiple lip glosses and a pack of menthols. It’s been reimagined for a present-day sartorialist with a far chunkier chain than the one I still have stashed in my wardrobe and is now known as the Mr Cub Mega Chain.
Synthia Bahati
Artist, photographer and fashion creative Synthia created a portrait hung in the centre of Ōtautahi Christchurch, with pieces borrowed from the local label.
This work was a piece that I created with the help of my siblings (Frandson and Sonielle Bahati) just up the road from where we live. I wanted to create an image that feels bold, vibrant, strong and empowering. This work is a continuation of my art practice, which celebrates the Black African community in Tāmaki Makaurau, self-determination, Black emancipation, joy and beauty. The Deadly Ponies bag added a pop to the image but also created conversations around fashion and gender. I wanted D6niel to feel like an icon and what better way to do that than through fashion.
The Deadly Ponies piece I am coveting is the Mr Cinch – Eraser Calf Nappa. That is THE BAG. I need that. There is also the Mr Sling Micro in Radicchio Burnish. I LOVE the colour so much, it’s the perfect – well – my perfect red.
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Lauren Brodie
A milestone moment in blue stands out for the fashion creator.
I’ve marked significant milestones over the years with Deadly Ponies bags; each one a symbol of life’s progressions, from the gold-chained party bags of my 20s to the oversized totes of my 30s (large enough to fit a laptop, of course).
But earlier this year, it wasn’t a bag that defined a special moment for me. It was a pair of shoes: Deadly Ponies’ Diomedes Flats, which gave me my very own Cinderella moment at one of the biggest fashion milestones of my life to date.
Picture this: your first-ever fashion show at Melbourne Fashion Festival with Lancôme and L’Oréal Professionnel. The excitement is electric… but your feet are in agony. The culprit? A misguided choice to wear cheap heels the night before, paired with some highly questionable dance moves. Luckily you packed the perfect shoe for the job: a gorgeous pair of electric-blue suede Diomedes Flats (desperately resisting the urge for an Elvis joke).
I looked cool. I felt confident. Most importantly, I was comfortable. And that, to me, captures what Deadly Ponies do best and why their success endures. Their pieces aren’t just beautiful objects that mark our memories; they’re made to be carried and truly live alongside us.
Jenni Mortimer
The lifestyle and entertainment reporter was surprised by an unexpected hand-me-down.
I’ve always been drawn to the functionality of Deadly Ponies wallets and have built a collection over the years, from the classic Mr Wallet and Lady Wallet to the statement Python Wallet.
The latter recently made quite a stir at my son’s school after a teacher spotted him handing out cash from it on the playground. It wasn’t the money giveaway that prompted swift action from her; rather, the realisation “no mother would allow their child to use the Python Deadly Ponies as a play wallet”.
Antonia Prebble
The actor uses a carryall for on-set essentials.
Steve and Liam are dear friends, so I’ve been lucky enough to attend a few friends-and-family sales over the years. I got this beautiful handbag at one of them about six years ago, and she’s still going great.
I love both the colour and the size. It fits scripts, as well as all the other miscellany I seem to need to cart around with me, so it’s my go-to bag for when I’m filming something. It’s practical and beautiful in equal measure.
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