About Hammer & Smith
Hammer & Smith is a Toronto- and Karachi-based multidisciplinary leather design studio and retail brand, offering premium-quality leather footwear, accessories, apparel, and lifestyle products with a down-to-earth aesthetic.
The foundations of the company were laid by the late Mr. Sheikh Muhammad Ilyas in 2009, and it was formally founded in 2011 by Mr. Ahmed Ilyas as Pakistan’s first leather design studio. The studio works across a wide range of scales and disciplines, from leather goods and accessories to shoemaking and garments.
Taking an industrial approach to craft, Hammer & Smith began with a simple goal: to create long-lasting designs with carefully considered details and construction techniques. Through this process, products are continually refined over time rather than in response to a market calendar or set schedule, and are introduced only when they reach a high standard of quality and utility.
Today, Hammer & Smith is a second-generation-run company operating across two countries. It is one of Pakistan’s leading leather design studios, offering premium-quality leather products to retail, wholesale, and corporate clients. It is also "THE" only leather goods company in Pakistan to offer leather education and crafting workshops to its customers through its “Open Studio” policy.
Taking inspiration from Scandinavian and Japanese design cultures, the studio’s design philosophy is “Made Simple, Made Well, Made Honest.” This philosophy means that every product we design and manufacture is evaluated against three basic principles: first, whether it is simple, clean, and minimal in design while serving a clear purpose; second, whether it is made to a high standard of quality and craftsmanship; and third, whether it is something we would proudly use ourselves.
Every product we offer is not only cleanly designed and functional as its core, but also comes with a promise: that is has been crafted using the finest-quality materials, with the utmost care and attention to detail.
Our Process & Practices
A meditative deliberation is evident in the details of the studio’s work. Leather goods are patterned with architectural precision and meticulously stitched by hand and basic machines while furniture pieces find an elegant simplicity in spare joinery details inspired by minimalistic woodworking. Each Hammer & Smith design is the result of a rigorous process that values quality, refinement, and simplicity as necessary traits for an object of everyday use.
A hand-sewn leather wallets, classic handcrafted boat shoes, minimalistic bags, and wooden stools are among the common items made by Hammer & Smith with attention and care. These handcrafted details forge a dialogue between the designer, maker, and user, and often, a sense of community. Reflecting the studio’s commitment to cleaner environment and socially responsible labor practices, all Hammer & Smith products are designed in Toronto, Canada and manufactured in Karachi, Pakistan with the majority of work being done within 20 kilometer of our studio.
Hammer & Smith also believes in giving back to the community. In addition to holding charity events our studio has fully integrated holding crafting workshops in our business model. While other businesses close their doors and keep their practices secret we have an 'Open Studio' policy. We welcome people to our 'Open Studio' events where we share with them our design and craft processes and teach them how to create some of the products we offer.
Our Materials
Our studio uses some of the finest quality leather from Pakistan, Italy and USA to make our products. We only work with top quality leather tanners certified as Gold and Silver Standard Tanneries by LWG - Leather Working Group.
Each procured leather skin is test for quality before being used to manufacture shoes, accessories and garments. Our studio also recycles most of its leather and fabric waste and take utmost care in disposing all our production waste as per international standards. Further more to offset our carbon footprint our studio actively engages in 'Cleaner Environment' projects and activities.
As Featured In Publications
Over the years our studio, our work and our team has been featured in various national and international publications. We are thankful for all our media partners and friends in the industry to have given us the coverage and helping highlight our work at both national and international stage.
Hammer & Smith In Press
