Ashima Leena

Crafted with the finest textiles enhanced with couture hand embellishment, Ashima Leena's haute couture- in particular- bridal wear- is steeped in old world charm yet appeal to global Indians with its sleek weightless silhouettes. 

In the early ’90s, Leena Singh and her sister-in-law Ashima, introduced their eponymous luxury fashion brand Ashima Leena and retailed from stores like 1 MG Road, South Extension and Crescent Mall in New Delhi, before shifting to a single-store format with the DLF Emporio flagship in 2008.

Bridal couture is opportunity for fashion brands to handcraft exquisite ensembles for a lucky few. Crafted with the finest textiles enhanced with couture hand embellishment, Ashima Leena's haute couture- in particular- bridal wear- is steeped in old world charm yet appeal to global Indians with its sleek weightless silhouettes. Per Explosive Fashion: 'Ashima Leena's atelier isn't a splashy choice but is a savvy one. A guest who buys the label often, remarked to me, "I love traditional pieces with personality!" And that summed up the designers' 'Dakshana' for BMW India Bridal Fashion Week — a capsule collection where Kanjeevaram saris with finely appliquéd temple motifs, hand-embroidered jewelled motifs and patchwork—dressed with South Indian gold jewellery—took centerstage.'

Per FDCI: 'Ashima-Leena, being one of the most senior brands of the country, has created a unique style of their own, reflecting the ancient traditions of Indian craftsmanship in a contemporary vocabulary. With Ashima spearheading the designing and Leena, the marketing pioneer behind the brand is dedicated in their efforts to promote India and its tertiary industry.'

In 2004 Ashime Leena created a global buzz by being commissioned by Isckon Temple for a makeover for the deity Lord Krishna after which they were extensively covered by Indian and International media and also won acclaim for the process which was emblematic of their commitment to design. The entire team which worked on it including the designers, the artisans, the tailors and the embroiderers ate vegetarian food, took frequent ritualistic baths and abstained from the consumption of alcohol and cigarettes during the execution of this assignment.

2010 was a milestone year when Ashime Leena was commissioned to be the official designer for the CommonWealth Games opening and closing ceremony held in New Delhi. A few years later Leena Singh's daughter Rhea joined the fashion brand and attempted to give it a new direction towards ‘more value, less volume’. "Ashima Leena was doing very well for the last 25 years but now I want to create a distinct signature for the label," Rhea Singh tells Vogue. “For our brand, we shall focus on Mughal-influenced techniques and styles, vignettes of which will be repeated in all our future collections.”

In 2016, Ashima, National Institute of Fashion Technology graduate and reportedly the designer behind Ashime Leena, disengaged from the luxury fashion brand citing creative differences. Per Voice Of Fashion: "A lawyer by qualification, Singh who carried on with the designing and business dimensions of the brand after the split with her sister-in-law Ashima claims… it’s the Indians abroad, armed with a strong purchasing power that makes for 65 per cent of the sales… The Middle East is a major market for the brand with deep retail pockets in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, UAE, Oman and Qatar."

The luxury label’s creations, celebrated for intricate hand embroideries and innovative silhouettes, reflect a deep-rooted appreciation of India's rich textile heritage and artisanal craft. Of the belief that the collections must be handcrafted with fabrics of the highest quality, each piece is carefully handcrafted, recreates and preserves the most exquisite couture hand embroidery and is personally overseen by the designers before it leaves the atelier. 

Luxury fashion brand Ashima Leena is not averse to sensual womenswear but has a serious sensibility—classical, luxurious and practical—all the while making a statement. If not minimal there is a modernist vibe about it that is fresh especially when the designer uses bold in-house prints, intricate zardozi work and Banarasi brocades.

Ashima Leena retails both haute couture and luxury pret. The prêt line includes tunics, kaftans, salwar kameez and outerwear while the couture collection features concept saris, lehngas and separates. One can expect to find beautiful Benarasi brocades, prints created in-house and zari work.