Ace embroiderer Annie Titus Mammen crafts an independent line of embellished pashmina stoles

Chennai-based Annie Titus Mammen, who does embroidery for Chanel, Balenciaga and Louis Vuitton, has launched Tambour’s first Independent product line of embellished pashmina stoles in Delhi

Annie Titus Mammen prefers to maintain a low profile. To the extent that the fashion designer from Chennai launched her first-ever Insta page tambour.1985 just about three months ago. She has never had an outlet of her own to sell her product line. But it is her portfolio of work that leaves you wide-eyed.

“I have always done what I love to do — embroidery, and I remain busy with the orders of my clients,” she says. At a recent event in Delhi where she showcased her first personal collection of exquisitely decorated pashmina stoles in collaboration with event consultant Kajoli Sahgal, Annie says, “These are my first products that I can really call my own; something I could control from the start to the finish. The 53 stoles she displayed wowed the visitors who were privy to her day-long show in the capital and many were bought instantaneously.

After partnering with celebrated fashion designers all over the world for 40 years, Annie has finally introduced her own piece d’art. “I love to do things at my pace now. There is a different joy in showcasing your own products directly,” says the 63-year-old powerhouse of talent, whose product line sells only at Evoluzione in Chennai. “That way, I do not have to bother about marketing, sales or product promotion but only concentrate on my designer creations,” she adds.

Skilfully blending tradition with modernity, Annie says, she chose to paint and embroider on pashmina stoles because she finds the Indian market saturated with embroidered saris and dresses. “Also, stoles are light weight, very utilitarian and easy to drape for all age groups. It can be an important part of office wear or up your smart travel look.”

There is colour, texture and flow in Annie’s stoles. Her creations are not loud or blingy but she uses subtle and elegant colours to connect boundaries between Nature, environment, art and philosophy. With extensive use of hand-sewn bees, insects, animals, birds, flowers, trees and words, Annie’s visually attractive designs are both sophisticated and playful.

Each dress, accessory or interiors that she has enhanced with her intricate designs in the last four decades are and have remained unique. And they had to: Because Annie has only crafted masterpieces for hallowed names such as French couture embroiderer Francois Lesage, Chanel, Balenciaga, Louis Vuitton and more. “You will not find a copy of any of my work anywhere,” she underlines.

In the early Eighties when the first generation of Indian fashion designers such as Satya Paul, Rohit Khosla, Tarun Tahiliani, Abu-Jani and Sandeep Khosla were breaking into the global fashion scene with their creations, the young Annie was silently and simultaneously rising as an innovator with her skilfully crafted embroidery.