Deadly Ponies Thorn of Plenty

Marking 20 Years with a Cultivated Celebration

For Spring 2025, Deadly Ponies unveils Thorn of Plenty, a collection rooted in reflection, renewal, and reverence for its own creative past. Marking two decades in the business of making bags with soul and substance, the New Zealand-born brand turns inward, then outward, with a series that captures both heritage and evolution.

The collection’s title is a clever twist on the Horn of Plenty, a classical emblem of abundance, reframed through the brand’s unmistakable lens. Think lush textures, vivid tones, and poetic detail, what founders Liam Bowden and Steve Boyd call “a living garden, with wild ideas and chaos down every path.” It’s an apt metaphor for a label that has never chosen the straight road.

The season’s palette is unexpectedly grounded in place: Greenvale, Boyd’s family home in Geraldine, lends its garden to the moodboard. From this tactile, domestic starting point comes a considered spectrum of finishes, each one a quiet tribute to nature’s imperfections and eccentricities. Soft yellow moss inspires the Oat tone, rendered in suede, croc, and Ironed Calf. Birch Python introduces a serpentine counterpoint, while Iceberg Croc and Nappa echo the nuanced blush of pumpkin skin, neither blue nor grey, but somewhere hauntingly in between.

The earthier hues arrive via Kale Suede, Mud Calf Nappa and a standout Radicchio Ironed Calf, rich with the vibrancy of its namesake. New this season, Radicchio Burnished Leather adds chromatic punch to signature shapes. Salt, a stark white Ironed Calf, offers crisp relief, finished with silver hardware and tonal dewdrop embellishments.

From humble beginnings in a garage studio, Deadly Ponies has grown into an internationally recognised accessories house with a cult following and a commitment to craft that never falters. Bowden’s affinity for the art world, organic form and functional sculpture is ever-present, ensuring each piece transcends trend while staying firmly in step with the cultural moment.

But what truly sets Deadly Ponies apart is its ethical ambition. As one of the few B-Corp certified and Toitū carbon-zero brands in its category, it leads the charge in sustainable luxury. Every bag is made using responsibly sourced leathers, tanned without harmful chemicals, and paired with 100% recyclable brass hardware, designed not just for beauty, but for reclamation.

Their Recycle Programme continues to expand, encouraging customers to return pre-loved Deadly Ponies pieces for refurbishment or transformation, with a reward of a $50 voucher. Waste leather is reworked into new creations, closing the loop in a way that feels not only sustainable but sophisticated.

Thorn of Plenty is more than a collection; it’s a cultivated expression of a brand that has spent twenty years honouring material, meaning and imagination. In an era where fast fashion is fading, Deadly Ponies remains rooted in craft and conscious design, always inviting us to look closer.

We were fortunate to spend an evening with Deadly Ponies recently for a first look at their remarkable new bag and shoe collection. To say we were impressed would be an understatement.

Over the past two decades, Liam and Steve have led Deadly Ponies with vision, creativity and tenacity, building one of the most influential fashion brands in the New Zealand landscape, and one that continues to shine on the international stage. The skill, ambition and design intelligence it takes to shape a brand and produce work of this calibre is truly extraordinary. Congratulations to Liam, Steve and the entire team. We can’t wait to see what the next twenty years bring.