About us

Our Story

Nestled within the fertile delta region of the Cauvery River, breathes a small, ancient temple city overlooking one of the oldest irrigation structures in the world that’s still in use. The Kallanai Dam through which the Kollidam river strips through, in many ways marks the awning of Tottimod (colloquially pronounced Thotti-mo-du by the people of the village); a place that to us marks the roots of our ancestry.

The drive down to the village of Muthukrishnapuram appears flanked by richly endowed paddy fields on either side of the driveway, occasionally interrupted by fragrant Sandalwood and Badam trees, in the lead up to a quiet, unassuming fist of land, centred around a temple pond; where people walk with a calm resolution, nurtured by simple meals borne by the rich land that surrounds them.

Tottimod in many ways is birthed from this simple, uncomplicated, straightforward existence that is reminiscent of South Indian Agrarianism at large. The elemental consequence of living amidst nature’s bounty is that the untainted water, air and grains influence a certain magnanimity of thought and attitude that is undeniably fecund and wise.

Transferring the emotion of living a luxurious lifestyle aided by simplicity whilst sustained by natural provisions of our land is what Tottimod as a lifestyle brand hopes to accomplish.

Our Philosophy

The brand consciously chooses to work with high quality, plant-based fibres, leaving behind animal derived, synthetic or lab-developed fibres.

Even within the realm of natural fibres, we look to work with crops that are sustainably grown- in terms of water consumed, need for fertilizers/pesticides, replenishment of soil nutrients and ultimately the longevity of the fibres produced- to ensure we can deliver value while not costing the environment.

As a brand in its nascent stages, we aim to extend the tenets of sustainability at the level of production. As a result, our garments are produced in small batches, which helps us faithfully monitor the highest level of quality and attention to detail, that in turn will allow you to hold onto Tottimod pieces over multiple wear cycles.

The idea of dropping a style at a time, as opposed to designing entire collections (as is typical of brands in our category) means that we commit ourselves to the research and development of garments as opposed to simply “producing” them.

And we hope that over the time that you wear them, moving past stages of “newness”, that you would break into them as you would into a new pair of shoes, and eventually, with time, hold a piece of garment that has your unique story to tell.