A UNIQUE new clothing brand inspired by a young York woman’s brave battle against a brain tumour has been successfully launched at a city club - on the third anniversary of her death.

Warpaint’s clothing, which is aimed at people undergoing medical treatments, was mostly modelled by people having treatment for cancer and other conditions during a glitzy launch event at Cosy Club in Fossgate.

And at 10.10pm, the precise time when Emily Rhodes passed away on April 24, 2019, aged 24, Warpaint’s website was launched.

Emily’s mother, Joanne Nicholson said: “It was an amazing night, absolutely brilliant, filled with beautiful people.”

Her business partner and friend, Claire Myles Wharton, said that as well as the fashion show, there was music by Sidor, a young saxophonist, and his father Rodger, playing accordion.

Country singer Twinnie-Lee Moore, a former star of Hollyoaks, also sang Emily’s favourite song.

There was also a DJ and additional entertainment by a burlesque dancer, she said.

York Press: Left to right, Billy Wharton, Claire Wharton, Martin Rhodes and Joanne Nicholson at the event

“It went so well, it was a great evening,” said Claire. “And after going live, the website (www.warpaint.online) has already been receiving orders.”

Joanne has told previously how she was inspired to come up with the idea for the clothing range when she witnessed how difficult it was for Emily to receive treatments while wearing normal everyday clothing.

“She would go for a treatment and would immediately be told to remove her top,” she said. “This would immediately make her feel all control was being taken away.”

She said that she and Claire then spent two years designing and developing ‘Warpaint’, the name chosen because Emily used to say she was ‘putting her warpaint on’ to go for treatment.

York Press: The launch event for Warpaint at Cosy Club in Fossgate

They came up with a new range of fashionable clothing that patients could wear, with zips and ports built in that could be opened to allow procedures to take place and a pouch at the front opening to give access to stoma bags, peg feeds and drains.

The clothes also feature zips on the neck for central lines, pacemaker checks, ECGs and breast checks, and an internal tourniquet in the arms.

The clothing is already being worn by patients at York Hospital, such as William Rhodes while having a regular blood transfusion, and Mandy Cole, while having her regular dialysis, wearing a warm hoody with opening in the sleeves to enable the treatment to go ahead.