New Zealand accessories label, Deadly Ponies, had to think outside the box for their first-ever appearance at Australian Fashion Week.

Known for their signature deerskin handbags, Deadly Ponies – established by designer Liam Bowden in 2005 – has gained a following and has been worn by stars such as Lorde, Charlize Theron and Eva Longoria.

But for their first catwalk show in Sydney on Wednesday, Bowden says they had certain challenges that clothes designers don’t face.

“We have to come at a runway show in Fashion Week from a different angle, and if we put someone else’s clothing on then the point of focus changes, so I think we have to come at it from an angle that makes sure the accessories are the showcased piece and that was the challenge we had all along the journey of this,” Bowden told AAP after the show.

In one of the buzziest shows of Fashion Week, guests gathered in a room to see Bowden’s and business partner Steven Boyd’s solution to the accessory conundrum.

A purple curtain dropped to the floor to reveal models gathered around an olive tree, dressed in pink smocks featuring horses – or ponies.

Wearing their functional uniform, they went one-by-one to choose from bags in rich colours of gold and purple, or made from transparent PVC, from surrounding stands.

It was a suitably show-stopping event for the Kiwi label’s Australian Fashion Week debut.

“It was invigorating. It was a big process to do from afar and organise all the moving parts, but now that it’s over it was a real achievement,” Bowden said.