Fashion students design cancer treatment-friendly clothing in memory of 24-year-old model Emily
The mother of a young model who sadly died from brain cancer at the age of 24 has been left “gobsmacked” by the quality of treatment-friendly clothing designed in the memory of her daughter by York College University Centre degree-level students.
When she was receiving treatment for her illness, Emily Rhodes struggled to find items of clothing that were suitable, comfortable and accessible, whilst also preserving her dignity.
After she then passed away in April 2019, her mum Joanne Nicholson and brother Matthew were determined to do something positive that would mean others, who found themselves in Emily’s situation, could attend hospital appointments in clothing that eased their anxiety a little, rather than adding to it.
That led to the launch of the intelligent fashion brand EmAble, of which Joanne and Matthew are co-founders.
Their York-based company aims to help patients “take back control”, having seen their much-loved daughter and sister experience physical discomfort, fluctuating weight and a loss of identity during her medical treatment.
It was with this purpose in mind that EmAble entered into a collaboration with first-year undergraduates on our BA (Hons) Fashion Design & Garment Technology course to design a range of shirt dresses.
The York School of Art learners were tasked with finding adaptable ways to counter the physical and psychological challenges faced by people receiving treatment, including restricted movement, sensitivity to fabrics, the need for easy access during medical procedures and changes in body shape.
Rather than just being purely functional, the clothing also intends to place an emphasis on aesthetic beauty that reflects an individual’s personality.
During months of research and development of their designs, the students employed the skills they have learned on their course to address the gap in the clothing market that EmAble have identified and feel so passionately about.
The finished garments left Joanne highly impressed by the learners’ “energy and versatility” as they succeeded in fulfilling their brief of creating clothing that demonstrates fashion’s potential to enhance a person’s self-worth and dignity during a period in their life where they have little control.
We spoke to Joanne, three of the students and course tutor Lynn Wood to gather their thoughts on the collaboration. This is what they had to say…
BA (Hons) Fashion Design & Garment Technology student Sarah Summers said:
“From working with EmAble, I have understood that there isn’t a lot available on the market if you are having treatments, but there are simple design changes you can make which mean someone can wear something for whatever they are going through. The clothing can support them rather than being an inconvenience when there are already plenty of challenges.
“Creating garments like this is a way you can reduce those challenges. I hope wearing my design can be something that someone can feel positive in and cheer them up.
“Joanne and Matthew are amazing. They’re super positive and encouraging.
“Coming into the course, I was a little bit intimidated by the high-fashion side because it was the practical making and real-world clothing that I was interested in. I also came onto the course as a mature 36-year-old student who wanted to learn the skills to make clothing so, working on a project with EmAble which is so practical and has such a benefit, is a great first project for me.
“EmAble helped us to understand the placement of zips, fabric, texture and weight. We also learnt what would be comfortable for the wearer and it was important to create something that would facilitate fluctuations in weight. Garments such as these are super important because there is already so much clothing in this world.
“If we’re working in this industry, we need to be working with purpose and working with a brand like EmAble is really inspiring.”
BA (Hons) Fashion Design & Garment Technology student Beth Warriner said:
“I felt very empathetic towards Emily’s story. Joanne and Matthew talked about how Emily’s weight fluctuated during treatment, so I wanted to create something that could be adaptable in terms of size.
“Because the belt is a D-ring, you can have it any size you want or take it off completely and I wanted to make something inclusive in terms of size. The brief was to create something playful and colourful and, during the research process, we went to an exhibition called Fashion Play and the miniature dolls there, that were all dressed in stripes, inspired me.
“I went for the approach of creating something where you could access the chest area. Because of MRI machines, I didn’t want to use any metal aside from on the belt which you can take off before you go in.
“The collar on my garment is also detachable and you can pull the zips down. There is also a button so you can have half and half. I used zips on the sleeves, too, and made it so the sleeves could be rolled up with a fastening to keep them in place.
“I progressed from the college course on to the degree level course. I’ve made six other garments, but feel I’ve learned most from this one. We’ve worked on this project since September, so have gone into a lot more depth. There has been a lot more research and experimentation with techniques and, because I’m very technical, I liked this.
“It’s been so nice to work on something that is for a good cause. Normally, people think of fashion as being high-end but this is more practical day-to-day wear. I’ve seen the importance of why we make clothes and what they are for, instead of it being just something for a catalogue.”
BA (Hons) Fashion Design & Garment Technology student Carrie Slater said:
“Learning of Emily’s story really inspired my design process. She was so young, so to make something that was for someone of a similar age to me really brought everything together.
“I’m proud of the embroidery on my garment as this is my niche and I was so happy when Joanne and Matthew pointed it out on my design. I used zips in the arms and down the front and I tried to consider the different treatments by listening to what treatments EmAble wanted to cater for so that the garment was inclusive.
“What we have made you can wear wherever and if more clothes were like this it would give greater variety. It doesn’t just have to be if you are going for a treatment - it could be for anything. You could have long sleeves that come off for summer so you could wear the item all year round. This project has been so important in that it has taught us how to make clothes adaptable.”
BA (Hons) Fashion Design & Garment Technology tutor Lynn Wood said:
“I’m super proud of them all. They’ve only been with us for 23 weeks and most of them have never used a sewing machine before.
“To learn how to use machinery, right through to all the pattern making to then producing a functional garment, is just incredible. They’ve done an amazing job.”
BA (Hons) Fashion Design & Garment Technology tutor Lynn Wood said:
“I’m super proud of them all. They’ve only been with us for 23 weeks and most of them have never used a sewing machine before.
“To learn how to use machinery, right through to all the pattern making to then producing a functional garment, is just incredible. They’ve done an amazing job.”
Co-founder of EmAble Joanne Nicholson said:
“We were inspired to make a clothing range for people going through diagnosis and treatment because of my daughter Emily’s journey. She was a model in Australia and really struggled to get anything she could throw on to wear during her treatments and then come home in.
“Every other week, we were buying more clothes as she put a lot of weight on very quickly and her body was really sore. We were going to Primark and getting oversized leggings but there was nothing out there that she felt comfortable in. When I worked in the NHS, I wore scrubs and thought, ‘Why isn’t there anything out there for patients that they can put on and then hang up until the next week?’
“It was worrying her that she was putting weight on and that she had to get bigger sizes. She needed something that she could throw on, feel comfortable in and not really take off. It needed to be something accessible so she could take some control back.
“When you’re going through treatment, you’re losing your identity and you’re not in control of your life or your body anymore. Taking a bit of control back is a massive thing especially when you’re young and developing as a person.
“Emily is the base of everything we do. Everything we think about relates to what she went through, her journey and the problems that she had.
“The students come with a different perspective to me, and we wanted other people’s takes on what we do. Mine is about Emily’s journey, but these guys have all come up with something different and it’s absolutely unbelievable. Every one of them have put something of themselves into their garments. I’m gobsmacked!
“We don’t know everything, we’re not designers or fashion gurus, but these guys are. They know more than we do. I’m just a housewife! They’ve got really good ideas and what they’ve come up with is unbelievable.
“I wanted the students to learn that every client they get is going to be different. They’ve been thrown in the deep end because they’re not going to come across a design or a brand as intricate as this. They’ve made something that has been purposefully designed. It’s like a trainer; it has to be good. You wear it because you want to run, not just because it looks nice. It’s about function first and foremost.
“They’ve all been given the same brief and have been taught by the same person, but every one of them has come up with something unique. Matthew and I hadn’t even thought of these ideas, so we’ll definitely take things away from this.
“Inclusivity is absolutely massive and so important. We have more people being diagnosed with illness and chronic disease than ever before because the NHS are getting better at diagnosing people who are younger.
“More inclusive clothes are needed, we don’t want everyone walking round with the same dress on because it’s easy. We need to be individual people and you need to be able to go and buy something that will help you while you have your treatments.
“When I started EmAble in 2022, we were the first people thinking about this. We did a worldwide search and there was nothing else on the market. Things are different now. Asda have now done a trouser leg with zips and Primark have done a top with zips in the neck.
“People have said to me, ‘But they’re pinching your designs’. This doesn’t bother me because it means that it’s needed and that’s the reason why I’m doing it. The more brands out there that create good quality garments, the better.
“EmAble stands out. We make items that are high quality where you only need one and it lasts you the full treatment because you don’t know how long it will take.
“We’d definitely like to continue to work with young designers in the future. They’ve brought so much energy and versatility. They see things that we don’t see and, because they’re young people, it’s been beneficial to learn what they would want to wear. We’d love to collaborate with the students on a fashion show.
“The collaboration has been quite emotional really. My daughter Emily was just 24 when she passed away and a lot of these designers are of a similar age, so it’s been lovely to see them all come together in Emily’s name. Emily would be looking down telling me to keep going because it’s needed. The project has meant the world to me.
“All the students have their own reasons for doing the course, some are younger, some are older, but that doesn’t matter. Never give up on your dreams and keep going. We certainly won’t!”
