India, March 8 -- Women's journeys often move through pauses, restarts and unexpected turns. For designer Leena J Singh, the force behind the luxury label Ashima-Leena, the path unfolded through several such chapters. Her label is one of India's well-known luxury fashion brands. She was the official designer for the 2010 Commonwealth Games held in Delhi, and now has over 300 global ramp shows to her credit. But fashion was not her first calling. As a young girl, Leena dreamed of becoming a doctor. Life, however, took a different course. Soon after finishing school, she got engaged and the dream of studying medicine had to be left behind. She pursued English Honours from Delhi University before getting married. "Like many young girls at that time, life decisions happened very early. My dream of becoming a doctor ended before it could even begin." After marriage, she moved to a small town into a large household connected to a family business. Alongside managing responsibilities at home, Leena began teaching nearly 150 children of employees working in the family business. "Teaching these children gave me immense joy. It kept my love for education alive," she says. At the same time, she continued her master's degree in English Literature through correspondence, travelling to the city for examinations. Determined to keep studying, she enrolled for a law degree at Kanpur University, travelling several hours each week to attend classes. A personal tragedy eventually brought her back to Delhi, but she completed her law degree despite frequent travel and court visits. "No matter what was happening in my life, I was determined to finish my law studies." Her search for financial independence soon led her to a small garment factory where she earned Rs.600 a month. "That first salary may have been small, but the happiness of earning my own money was priceless," she says. During visits to her hometown, Leena began observing zardozi artisans at work. Curious about the craft, she spent time learning from them and started sketching designs that were later executed by the artisans. "People would stare because I would sit on the ground with the artisans and learn embroidery. But I did not care. I was fascinated by the beauty of their work." Slowly, these embroidered pieces found buyers in Delhi. And before long, she was offered the role of a CEO for a retail space in the '90s. With a section dedicated to Indian designers, Leena reached out to young graduates from the first batch of NIFT: Rohit Bal, JJ Valaya, Ashish Soni and Suneet Varma: "It was an incredible feeling to work with such talented young designers and see Indian fashion slowly taking shape."...