York mother and son set to launch intelligent fashion brand in memory of daughter

York mother and son set to launch intelligent fashion brand in memory of daughter lost to cancer

A mother and son duo from York have unveiled plans to launch an adaptable fashion brand, EmAble, which they hope will transform the experiences of people battling life-changing health conditions and enduring treatment for chronic illness.

Inspired by the tragic loss of Emily Rhodes, who passed away in April 2019 after a three-year battle with cancer, Joanne and Matthew are on a mission to revolutionise the adaptive clothing market through innovation and cutting-edge design. They have joined forces to create a versatile and specialised clothing range expertly engineered to allow easy access during treatments, including radiotherapy, chemotherapy, dialysis, blood tests, blood transfusions, breast checks and intravenous therapy.

The adaptable clothing simplifies, streamlines and speeds up hospital appointments by getting rid of the need for patients to undress for medical examinations, interventions, procedures and treatment.

The collection includes:

• a unisex Loci hooded oversized sweatshirt with two neck zips which extend to the armpit and two sleeve openings
• jogger bottoms with a shirred elasticated front waistband, concealed side seam zips from waist to ankle and draw cord ankle cuffs
• jogger bottoms with elasticated waistband, concealed side seam zips from waist to ankle and draw cord ankle cuffs.

All items are available in two colourway options – navy blue and sand - and come in a range of sizes.

The comfortable and efficient clothing is manufactured from 100% cotton so is comfortable, breathable, warm and washable. The high quality, fashionable garments boast subtle design features including contrasting-coloured functional zips for easy access, branded zip tags featuring the wording ‘for Emily’, woven EmAble branding on the front of the garments and a woven branded badge on the reverse ‘for Emily’.

Emily’s memory forms the foundation of the business with the brand name incorporating her nickname, Em. With the ethos and brand vision centring on ‘enabling’ and empowering others going through treatment, they’ve combined the two to create EmAble.

The founders have teamed up with entrepreneur, Pablo Ettinger, one of the founding team of Caffe Nero and an active director and angel investor in a number of fast-growing businesses, who is providing specialist advice on supply chains and scaling up the business. York-based Malcolm Dyl, managing director of Bridlington-based Rawfusion, which was one of Europe’s leading branded fashion and accessories companies, is also acting as advisor to the business.

Karen Flockton, a highly experienced performance sportswear and swimwear product development specialist, has played an instrumental role in shaping the launch collection and will continue to work with EmAble on the design and development of future ranges. Karen has worked with leading global performance sportswear brands including high performance apparel and elite performance swimwear and has multiple Olympic projects under her belt.

The launch of the family-led business is scheduled to coincide with World Cancer Day on 4th February. Real life models who are navigating their own journey with serious illness will be modelling the collection ahead of its launch.

The venture marks new beginnings and builds on Joanne’s previous experience in her role as co-founder and lead designer at And Able, which she set up in 2022 with Claire Myles Wharton. Claire stepped away from And Able in 2024 to pursue other interests, which provided Joanne and Matthew with the opportunity to unite to create a family-led organisation.

Joanne Nicholson said: “I’m privileged to be launching this brand with my son, and I couldn’t do it without him. We saw first-hand the struggle Emily had, not just navigating treatment, but grappling with her fluctuating weight and self-image, while trying to feel comfortable and in control. Because of her perceived body image, she dreaded undressing for treatment, so we hope we can eliminate this feeling for others.”

Matthew added: “While we cannot change an individual’s destination, we can help with their journey. By creating an intelligent fashion brand that features clothing with purpose, we have a renewed purpose in life - to celebrate the life of Emily and create a lasting legacy for her, while supporting others who are facing an uncertain future.”