New Delhi, Fashion diva Ritu Kumar is these days shifting gears to hone her writing skills and improve her fitness levels.

Her autobiography will provide interesting insights into her life while her fitness regime has seen her shedding weight - that in turn has seen her getting loads of compliments from her vast circle of friends.

"I am working on the book for a while now. It will be about my work with the craft and how it has undergone transformation over a period of years," Ritu told IANS.

"It is too soon to decide the title of the book," she added.

Nowadays Ritu Kumar is seen in a new toned avatar. She has lost eight kilos and is aiming to reduce more. Her fitness regime is a mix of exercise, yoga and meditation.

"I have been keeping very busy, but I thought that I should give some time to myself too," Ritu said.

"Fitness is important for everyone but if one is in the fashion business, fitness becomes a necessity because people look up to you for inspiration."

Ritu Kumar is a well-known name in the fashion fraternity. She has been in this business for over 30 years. She has also been designing the wardrobes of Indian contestants at international pageants for 14 years now. But when it comes to her personal style statement she believes in mix and match.

"I do wear dresses designed by me, but I get bored of them. So I prefer to mix and match my attire," she explained.

Ritu loves to wear clothes from the Italian fashion house Max Mara. Among Indian designers she likes Anamika, Rajesh Pratap Singh and Muzaffar Ali. She swears by Rajesh Pratap's kurtis that she loves to put on every day for the casual look.

She also loves sandals and shoes by Gucchi. Kumar has a fetish for shoes and has lost count of the number of pairs she owns.

How would she describe her personal style statement?

"It's casually classic," she said.

With the couture week coming in mid September in Mumbai and then Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week (WIFW) in mid October here, Ritu is working on her collection.

"In the upcoming couture week, my collection will have Indian culture with a mix of fashion and modernity in it," she said.

"I am focusing more on couture week, whereas my son Amrish is busy with the WIFW collection."

Early next month will see the launch of a new perfume under her label, called The Tree of Life.

"It took my son Amrish two years to come up with this fragrance. The perfume spells India for me because it is available in fragrances like jasmine, khuskhus and sandalwood," Ritu said.

Why did she choose Tree of Life as the name for the fragrance?

"I believe this label completes me," Ritu responded.

The perfume will be launched first in Mumbai and Delhi and then in other metropolitan cities. It will be made available in all her stores by December.

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