This week, I was invited along to the launch of Other's new collection. Following its success in 2016, the Rise collection has now been adapted into a women's line and this was a chance to get a sneak peak of what's to come. I was delighted to be given the opportunity, and although I don't own any pieces from the brand, I've always followed their movements and I've been a fan of their collections since I first discovered them. Luckily, my girlfriend had also been invited to the event, so I didn't have to go alone and let my shyness get the better of me!

I got to the store slightly before 7pm, looking a bit too eager for my own liking, but within a couple of minutes I was handed a bottle of Budweiser and made myself comfortable. The Other store is tucked neatly inside Cardiff's High Street Arcade amongst boutiques and vintages shops, but it holds a presence of its own. Inside is a white-walled canvas of a room, decorated with the dusty tones of the brands Rise collection for the most part. The resident DJ was busy setting the tone and drinks were being handed around. For those going to the after-party, it was basically the ideal pre-drinks. Sadly, I wasn't able to go along for the later part of the evening because I had work early the next day. Gutted.

While my girlfriend went ahead and browsed the collection, I took a closer look at the details, along with the silhouettes that surround them. I was really interested to see the design approach and how the original Rise menswear collection has influenced the adapted women's collection. Hoodies and sweatshirts have been cropped to upper-stomach length and oversized tees give an "I'm wearing my boyfriend's t-shirt better" attitude. The collection also boasts cropped vests and high-waisted jersey shorts that, together with the top-half pieces, echo the shapes, textures and colours of Kanye Wests's Yeezy Season. If you do love Kanye's collections but you don't have the income to make those kinds of purchases (like, who does?), then I'd definitely recommend checking out what Other has to offer. That's not to say that it mimics what Ye has already done, not by a long shot. The Rise collection holds its own and it IS unmistakably the work of Other, particularly with the brands signature details like their back panel stitching. It maintains the washed out greens, browns, rusts and dusts that have become synonymous with Other's palette throughout their recent collections, and their unbeatable camo pattern is frequent in many of the pieces.