Meet Ashima Giri | Founder & Creative Director, DONTDIECLOTHING;

We had the good fortune of connecting with Ashima Giri and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ashima, how does your business help the community?
When I first started the brand at 17 years old, the only vision I had was: I had felt so lonely in my mental health journey and I knew other brown kids probably felt that same isolation. Growing up in India and coming from a desi background, mental health is often something that isn’t accepted or even talked about openly. I wanted people to know they weren’t alone.

Fashion has been my first love since childhood. I always loved styling myself and others. My brother and I fought a lot growing up, but the one time we’d get along is when we would go out shopping with our mom and he’d ask for my opinion. So, fashion has always been there from the beginning and it felt like the most powerful way to start that important conversation. Mental health can be a heavy and uncomfortable topic but clothing allows people to express what they might not feel ready to say out loud. Wearing something that represents courage, survival, or vulnerability can be a quiet but powerful act of advocacy.

DONTDIECLOTHING; was built around that idea, creating pieces that spark conversations and make people feel seen. Over the years, I’ve had people message me saying the brand helped them talk to their friends/family about their struggles, feel understood or simply less alone in their experience.

Beyond the clothing itself, the brand has become a beautiful community where people can share their stories and connect through a shared understanding of mental health, resilience, and growth. If even one person feels represented and seen because of something we created, then the brand is doing exactly what I set out for it to do.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
My art sits at the intersection of fashion, storytelling, and mental health advocacy. What sets my work apart is that isn’t just about clothing. Every piece is tied to a deeper story about resilience, healing and community. The brand was built from lived experience rather than just aesthetics and I think people feel that authenticity.

I also take huge pride in the quality of the clothes I put out. At the same time, I strive to be as transparent with my community as possible, which is often unheard of in the business world. There are many aspects of traditional business that I don’t agree with, and I’ve always felt strongly about building this brand in a way that aligns with my values. I’m here to do things differently and build it my way.

The journey has been anything but easy. I’ve built this brand largely on my own while growing up, going to school, and learning the business side through constant trial and error, all while navigating the hardships of life. Every challenge has taught me how to adapt and trust my instincts more as both a founder and a creative.

What I want people to understand is that the brand is more than just fashion. It’s about creating a space where people feel seen and understood. If someone puts on one of our pieces and feels seen in their struggles, then we’re achieving our mission.

But I also hope people remember that the work comes from a real person behind the brand. A lot of people connect with the message and the art, but sometimes forget the emotional weight it takes to create something like this. The brand exists because I’ve felt those struggles deeply myself, and that lived experience is what continues to shape everything I create.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I want to dedicate this shoutout to my ancestors and the women who came before me. Their resilience, sacrifices, and strength are the reason why I’m able to pursue a streetwear brand built on mental health awareness and suicide prevention.

As a Brown woman from a Desi background where mental health often isn’t openly talked about, building this brand hasn’t always been the easiest path. But, I’m constantly reminded that I come from generations of women who pushed forward despite obstacles far greater than my own. If they hadn’t fought for our rights and opportunities, I wouldn’t have the freedom to fully pursue this without facing societal consequences.

I’ve been building this brand on my own since I was 17, and in many ways I carry the stories, sacrifices, and strength of those women with me in everything I do. Their perseverance is the foundation that allows me to dream bigger and create something that helps others feel seen and less alone.

I truly believe I am my ancestors’ wildest dreams, and everything I build is in honor of them.

Website: https://dontdieclothing.store/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/__dontdieclothing/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/dontdieclothing/?viewAsMember=true