TSM & Co : The Journey of the Shoe
A young person's college life has a great way of shaping how the life ahead turns out to be. Two such young men, inspired by the college life in London, not only brought change in their own life, but for a lot of people in Pakistan. Hammad Ahmed, co-owner of The Shoe Maker and Company, tells me how his company came into being.
Hammad says that he always liked the way the Europeans dressed. And of course, that's true because Europe has always managed to create the strongest designers in menswear. Taking inspiration from the street style he saw across London, he was intrigued by what he saw, wondering if it would be applicable in Pakistan, and why are there no companies catering to the modern man's aesthetic? He tells he knew that the demand for such shoes was available, but no one was creating them.
With entrepreneurship running through his blood, he always knew he would get into business, but it wasn't until 2011 that he sat down with a bunch of friends and the idea to open up a shoe business that catered to the modern man and right then TSM & Co. came into being. He knew there was a huge market for mens fashion, and Karachi's fashion scene showed him that. For he wanted to make the shoes he liked himself, and would wear himself. It is only because of this desire for creating quality, which he thinks comes along with being a Virgo, is exactly why he went on the journey to finding the craftsmen who would make the shoes people would end up loving.
But the journey wasn't easy. In the start, they just wanted to make shoes. But that didn't satisfy, so they looked around for craftsmen who would make quality shoes, all handmade. And since none of the friends had any idea about shoe making, and neither did the craftsmen understand how to make the particular shoes they wanted, they learned. The craftsmen had to be trained to perfection.
This closeness to the product's production not only added value to the product, but also made it something beautiful, made out of hours of hard work, training, and research. Which speaks in the shoes itself.
Another obstacle was finding good tanners in Pakistan who would provide them with what they needed, and because of them being a start-up, they were always turned down. So they imported most of their materials for the shoes, including the buckles, shoe laces, soles etc.
But over time, starting with just a facebook group, TSM & Co. has developed into a business that people love. Their products, being intricately produced, and with so much attention to detail, can only be loved.
I have asked around people what they thought of the shoes, and they loved them. One of my friends wouldn't stop raving about them.
The reason I wanted to talk in detail about TSM & Co. was because I think knowing the story behind the success is always very important. It gives you insight into the hard work that goes into creating what you see as something worth having. Hammad has been kind enough to share their story with me. I think it helps understand how hard it is to run a business. And with such a weak menswear industry, it is very important to highlight the work of the few doing good work.
They actually do have a great collection on their store. I found the first pair of monk straps in Pakistan on their website over a year and a half ago. It's this innovative quality about them that has inclined me towards them. It's the fact that you can ask them for whatever you want, and they will make that for you. It's about the love, and history of hard work, that has gone into making the shoes. It is about being one's own self and taking control over the thoughts and finally getting up and turning your dreams into reality. It's about how i resonate with the story because some day it could very well be me, and how important it is to learn from growing businesses and support their work.
With such a nascent mens fashion industry here in Pakistan, and with so many international brands opening up, it is refreshing to see young business men stepping up to take charge and show that we can make all the cool things here in Pakistan. Sure, it's hard and very time consuming, but that's how it is better. It's more personal. It's more Pakistani. And it's so much better that way.
My Picks of the shoes I like
[caption id="attachment_6316" align="aligncenter" width="474"]
Florence: Buy Here[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_6314" align="aligncenter" width="474"]
Glasgow: Buy Here[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_6317" align="aligncenter" width="474"]
MIAMI: Buy Here[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_6302" align="aligncenter" width="474"]
MACAU: Buy Here[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_6301" align="aligncenter" width="474"]
New Orleans: Buy Here[/caption]
You can read their story in their words over here.
Check out their store on their website http://tsmco.com.pk/
Follow them on facebook here, and on instagram here.
You can
Tweet out to me on twitter @thatpakiblog
or follow my sartorial journey on instagram @thatpakiblog.
I am on facebook too. here.
*This post is NOT Sponsored in any way.
Hammad says that he always liked the way the Europeans dressed. And of course, that's true because Europe has always managed to create the strongest designers in menswear. Taking inspiration from the street style he saw across London, he was intrigued by what he saw, wondering if it would be applicable in Pakistan, and why are there no companies catering to the modern man's aesthetic? He tells he knew that the demand for such shoes was available, but no one was creating them.
With entrepreneurship running through his blood, he always knew he would get into business, but it wasn't until 2011 that he sat down with a bunch of friends and the idea to open up a shoe business that catered to the modern man and right then TSM & Co. came into being. He knew there was a huge market for mens fashion, and Karachi's fashion scene showed him that. For he wanted to make the shoes he liked himself, and would wear himself. It is only because of this desire for creating quality, which he thinks comes along with being a Virgo, is exactly why he went on the journey to finding the craftsmen who would make the shoes people would end up loving.
"There have even been times when I had to put up the final finishing touches on customers orders myself due to short delivery time frames but it has only made us stronger." Hammad Ahmed
But the journey wasn't easy. In the start, they just wanted to make shoes. But that didn't satisfy, so they looked around for craftsmen who would make quality shoes, all handmade. And since none of the friends had any idea about shoe making, and neither did the craftsmen understand how to make the particular shoes they wanted, they learned. The craftsmen had to be trained to perfection.
This closeness to the product's production not only added value to the product, but also made it something beautiful, made out of hours of hard work, training, and research. Which speaks in the shoes itself.
"I still remember spending hours in our workshop sitting with our finisher trying get the required finishing or working with the clicker to ensure each brogue punched was accurate and neatly done." - Hammad Ahmed
Another obstacle was finding good tanners in Pakistan who would provide them with what they needed, and because of them being a start-up, they were always turned down. So they imported most of their materials for the shoes, including the buckles, shoe laces, soles etc.
But over time, starting with just a facebook group, TSM & Co. has developed into a business that people love. Their products, being intricately produced, and with so much attention to detail, can only be loved.
I have asked around people what they thought of the shoes, and they loved them. One of my friends wouldn't stop raving about them.
The reason I wanted to talk in detail about TSM & Co. was because I think knowing the story behind the success is always very important. It gives you insight into the hard work that goes into creating what you see as something worth having. Hammad has been kind enough to share their story with me. I think it helps understand how hard it is to run a business. And with such a weak menswear industry, it is very important to highlight the work of the few doing good work.
They actually do have a great collection on their store. I found the first pair of monk straps in Pakistan on their website over a year and a half ago. It's this innovative quality about them that has inclined me towards them. It's the fact that you can ask them for whatever you want, and they will make that for you. It's about the love, and history of hard work, that has gone into making the shoes. It is about being one's own self and taking control over the thoughts and finally getting up and turning your dreams into reality. It's about how i resonate with the story because some day it could very well be me, and how important it is to learn from growing businesses and support their work.
With such a nascent mens fashion industry here in Pakistan, and with so many international brands opening up, it is refreshing to see young business men stepping up to take charge and show that we can make all the cool things here in Pakistan. Sure, it's hard and very time consuming, but that's how it is better. It's more personal. It's more Pakistani. And it's so much better that way.
My Picks of the shoes I like
[caption id="attachment_6316" align="aligncenter" width="474"]
Florence: Buy Here[/caption][caption id="attachment_6314" align="aligncenter" width="474"]
Glasgow: Buy Here[/caption][caption id="attachment_6317" align="aligncenter" width="474"]
MIAMI: Buy Here[/caption][caption id="attachment_6302" align="aligncenter" width="474"]
MACAU: Buy Here[/caption][caption id="attachment_6301" align="aligncenter" width="474"]
New Orleans: Buy Here[/caption]You can read their story in their words over here.
Check out their store on their website http://tsmco.com.pk/
Follow them on facebook here, and on instagram here.
___________________________________________
You can
Tweet out to me on twitter @thatpakiblog
or follow my sartorial journey on instagram @thatpakiblog.
I am on facebook too. here.
*This post is NOT Sponsored in any way.