A closer look at the iconic New Zealand label, Deadly Ponies, and their brand, materials, craft and transparency.

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THE BRAND

Auckland-based Liam Bowden founded Deadly Ponies in 2005, originally creating one-off accessories in his small garage. Now an internationally renowned brand, Deadly Ponies is a collaboration between Liam and his partner in life and business, Steve Boyd.

Deadly Ponies create beautifully crafted leather accessories, redefining the norms with innovative silhouettes and materials, while striving to maintain and improve their practices in every aspect of their business.

Known for their signature handbags, they recently delved into the footwear realm, applying their attention to detail and commitment to quality.

Liam Bowden and Steve Boyd, sourced from deadlyponies.com

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CRAFT & MATERIALS

Deadly Ponies pieces are designed in New Zealand and are crafted through select partners, and at their custom-built eco-atelier in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

The 57-strong workforce is comprised of artisans trained in French leather-working techniques, pattern makers, leather cutters, stitchers, painters, and finishers.

Deadly Ponies mainly use premium, genuine leather as opposed to synthetic alternatives which take far longer to biodegrade. They are very selective in the leathers they use to ensure the longevity of their products and to commit to their ethical and sustainability aims. They exclusively work with hides that are a by-product of the meat industry, or natural casualties, have traceability, and have Leather Working Group or equivalent certifications.

Deadly Ponies accessories feature their iconic brass hardware, which is long-wearing and has a low environmental impact. Using certified organic cotton is much more environmentally friendly than conventional cotton. It requires a significantly smaller amount of Co2 and water, and restricts the use of hazardous chemicals. The cotton used by Deadly Ponies currently has the REACH standard and is BCI certified.

Images sourced from deadlyponies.com

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TRANSPARENCY & IMPACT

Deadly Ponies are continuously striving to lower their emissions and impact on the environment.

They have proudly achieved Toitu’s carbon-zero certification, and have their sights next set on becoming zero-waste certified/. Deadly Ponies is Carbon-Zero certified and lowered their total total CO2 emissions by 8% from 2021 to 2022.

They aim to be zero-waste certified by the end of 2023 - this means not only their production waste but also working with high quality, ethical materials that we can rework, repurpose or recycle without leaving a lasting impact on the environment.

Choosing sea freight wherever possible and building this into their seasonal timelines significantly reduces their carbon footprint. On average, sea freight uses 97% less carbon for the same journey.

Deadly Ponies' fourth and final drop for SS23 has just landed in-store & online.

Come see us in our Christchurch store on 250 High Street to try the range on, or shop the range online here.