THEY may look more suited to Spiders nightclub than a cot, but these gothic baby clothes are proving a hit with customers.
They were created by Carol Van Rij, then a mum-to-be, after she tired of the same old teddy bears and bunny rabbits.
From skull and crossbones skirts or skeleton hair clips to a Viking baby hat, her Metallimonsters range tries to be different.
T-shirts with the slogans "I love my daddy and his tattoos" and "I listen to metal with my mummy" complete the look.
"There wasn't a very big variety of clothes on the high street," she said.
"All you could find was baby pink or baby blue.
"I think it's usually quite a specific crowd it appeals to – it's not the kind of thing you can find when you're out shopping."
With between ten and 15 orders for her clothes a day, Carol's business soon exceeded what she was able to produce at home in west Hull.
The former fashion student now outsources some of her designs to manufacturers. But with the exception of the shoes, everything sold on the Metallimonsters website was dreamed up by Carol and her friends.
Although her primary sales are over the internet, she does work with four stores and has an enthusiastic response at goth shows.
"I sell a lot online and I tend to do an event maybe once every couple of months," she said.
"I have stands at tattoo conventions and Whitby Goth Weekend. At the conventions I'm usually the only person selling children's clothing.
"We get a lot of people saying they wish it had been done before, or they wish they had somebody to buy it for – the reaction is always good."
It all started when Carol, 27, was pregnant with her daughter Ariel.
While on maternity leave, the company she worked for went into liquidation.
Although becoming an entrepreneur was tough, two and a half years later she is sure she made the right choice.
"When I started, my maternity leave was about to end and it was difficult thinking about going back to work," she said.
"But now I can work from home and work around my daughter.
"I just want to continue doing the events I do, and try to get into more shops."
Carol was helped by young people's charity The Prince's Trust.
Metallimonsters launched with a £1,500 startup loan and mentoring support provided by the organisation. She now supports it as a young ambassador.
Figures released by the group have revealed 29 per cent of young people in Hull are struggling to find a job.
However, only 9 per cent of city adults are self-employed, the third-lowest rate in the UK.
Carol encouraged others to follow her path.
"The Prince's Trust was brilliant and helped me every step of the way," she said.
"Their confidence in me made me believe in myself and I couldn't wait to get started."
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