The Thousands

Deadly ponies should exist in reality. They would greet geeks off the street with high-kicks not handshakes, only ever wear balaclava hats, trample on stereos playing Powderfinger, steal everybody’s icecream and just basically be furry four-legged legends.

Okapi Rider is the name of label Deadly Ponies’ latest range of bags and accessories. This range is not designed by my imaginary four-legged friends, unfortch. Or not so unfortch, as you will find once you clap eyes on the stuff crafted by Kiwi Liam Bowden. The line-up takes inspiration from the weird but beautiful ink drawings of Walton Ford, the crispy fierceness of the safari, the tug-and-tackle of the animal kingdom.

Lovers of DP will recognise the brass hardware, the slouchy shoulder styles with added sling, the capacious sizes perfect for squeezing illegal mammals and six years’ worth of your favourite fattest novels in. But this time round Bowden has also down-sized to some neat pouch, laptop folios and square satchel options for those to whom less means actually less crap. These people exist, I am sure.

The bagstuffs are not what you’d call cheap. Is a trip to Africa cheap? Hells no! This is pretty much the same thing, except you can’t carry Africa around on your shoulder.

Plus, there are some goat mohawks dangling in ways that would make my nasty pony gang members proud. Yihhh boi!