Hello, You Found Me!
Hi, I am Ahmed Ilyas, a multidisciplinary creative and entrepreneur. I am the Founder and Creative Director at Hammer & Smith, a leather design studio and retail brand that operates between Toronto, Canada and Karachi, Pakistan. At the helm of the studio, I am responsible for creative direction and product development for the brand.
With a background in marketing, product design and a passion for craftsmanship, I focus on delivering timeless, detail-oriented designs that blend form with function. I also work closely with all our customers including some of the most respected national and international fashion and retail brands on creative direction, brand strategy, and product innovation.
Outside of my design work, I am an avid marathon runner, finding focus, resilience, and inspiration in long-distance running. I love coffee which fuels both my creativity and active lifestyle — often accompanying my deep dives into topics like art, design, entrepreneurship and personal development on my YouTube podcast channel.
Follow My YouTube Channel
Though not a professional videographer or photographer. I love the medium and occasionally make Vlogs and other YouTube video. You can follow the YouTube channel below and watch some of my work.
Thoughts Of A Restless Mind
For the love of story telling I occasionally write about the subjects like art, design, entrepreneurship and personal development. You can read some of the stories I have published on our studio journal.
Timeless Originality & Simplicity
The Story Of An Owl
Studio: Behind The Scenes
Our studio is the place where all the magic happens. It serves as both our office and retail space where customers can drop by to place their orders to make purchases. It’s a space where all our creative juices start to flow, teams come together to create thoughtful and functional leather products for our customer. These are some glimpses from our studio.
Products I Loved Designing
Over the years I have designed dozens of products but there are few that I really love. Following are some of the products I really enjoyed designing and making for my studio.
Dynamic And Deeply Introspective
Ahmed Ilyas’s collection of abstract paintings and pencil sketches blends expressive color with refined detail. His abstract works use bold strokes and fluid forms to evoke emotion, while his pencil sketches showcase precise lines and subtle shading. Together, they reveal a versatile artist who moves smoothly between imagination and observation.
Follow My Work On Social Media
I am not a big fan of social media but it has become a necessity now a days both to stay in touch with old friends and of course for work. To minimize my time on social media I tend to stick to one platform more than others. For me that is Instagram and YouTube.
Though you can also follow me on my LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter but mostly likely you wont get a response.