WHEN Molly-Mae Hague’s debut collection for her clothing line Maebe dropped in September last year, it sold out in just 24 minutes.
Fans were desperate to get their hands on the most coveted items in the range – which was pitched as “redefining contemporary womenswear” – and took to social media in their thousands to boast about their buys.
The launch of the casual line had been delayed due to a delivery issue, but eventually took place at 7pm on February 27th[/caption]
Prices include the £75 for the Straight Leg Joggers and £85 for the Collared Sweatshirt[/caption]
As of 10am on the morning after the launch, the majority of items were still available to buy in all sizes from 2XS to 4XL[/caption]
However, celebrations were somewhat short-lived, as many customers complained about one item in particular – a £140 oversized blazer – and the fabric they said bobbled within minutes.
Molly-Mae opened up about the fabric disaster on her Netflix documentary, but things went from bad to worse when she prepared to launch her latest drop – the highly-anticipated tracksuit – in early February.
Taking to the Instagram Stories of Maebe’s page, Molly-Mae explained that “due to an expected delivery issue of our full size range… we have had to postpone our much anticipated launch”.
“While we don’t have a confirmed release date just yet, the team are working to resolve this as quickly as possible,” she said at the time.
”Thank you for your patience – we promise they’ll be worth the wait.”
The Daily Errands line – featuring the tracksuits – dropped on February 27th at 7pm.
Items that had been tipped to sell out include the Straight Leg Joggers, £75, which could be paired with the Collared Sweatshirt, £85.
There’s also a Mid Length Hoodie, also £85, Wide Leg Joggers for £75, and a fitted shirt for £50.
However, on the site the next morning, on February 28th, almost all of the separates were still available to buy in all sizes, from 2XS up to 4XL.
And in the comments section of an Instagram snap of Molly-Mae modelling the mocha two-piece to announce the launch, many fans were quick to point out that the prices had stopped them from purchasing.
“I personally think this pricing is crazy for running errands in! It’s just a tracksuit,” one sighed.
“Not paying 85 for a top and 75 for bottoms for everyday wear – just wow !!!!” another raged.
“£170 on a tracksuit???? Are you for real? Lmaoooo,” a third laughed.
“I love the pieces they look so nice but this is majorly overpriced in my opinion,” someone else wrote.
“It’s a shame but I can’t justify £160 on a tracksuit.”
“Those prices.. no,” another said.
Fabulous’ Deputy Fashion Editor on Maebe
Abby McHale, the Deputy Fashion Editor at Fabulous, has shared her candid thoughts on Maebe…
“LOVE Island isn’t synonymous with grown-up sophisticated style but it will be no surprise to fans of Molly-Mae Hague that this is the theme of her first fashion range.
The 25-year-old influencer and mum to one-year-old Bambi has done everything possible to shed the villa image – swapping bikinis and lip fillers for comfy clothes and barely there makeup.
Recently, she’s even ditched her Love Island fiance, and father of her child, Tommy Fury – amid allegations of infidelity. So it was inevitable that her exclusive clothing collection, maebe, would be as far removed from glamorous bodycon party dresses as possible.
From that perspective, it certainly does not disappoint.
The range, which dropped last night (Sunday) at 7pm on Molly’s new website maebe.co.uk, was tipped to sell out almost straight away. It features tailored oversized blazers, sharp shirts and denim – all in Molly’s signature neutral palette.
A passion project, as she calls it, which has been two years in the making, Molly said she wanted to bring some luxury to her fans, without the price tag. She said she poured her heart into creating “high-quality pieces” at an “accessible price point.”
Accessible? I’m not so sure – the range varies from £35 to £140 so is pricier than the mainstream high street. But it is a price it seems her followers are willing to pay, even if it is a stretch for their budget.
One fan commented on the maebe Instagram saying: ‘I can already feel my bank account emptying’, with another echoing the same thought, saying, ‘I’m going to have no money left.’
A seasoned influencer, Molly knows how to lure her followers in – even before the brand launched yesterday the maebe account on Instagram had over 800k followers.
And at a sold out pop up event in London last week she gave some lucky fans a sneak peek of the collection, hyping fans in the run up to the event with come-ons like “maebe it’s just not worth missing.” Afterwards, she wrote to her 8.3 million followers, saying: “I don’t think I’ll ever get over today. Meeting so many of you and celebrating maebe Store has been one of the best days of my life! I can’t put into words how grateful I am for every single one of you who are on this journey with me.”
Molly, who is from Hitchin, Hertfordshire, knows that the key to her success is her fans – she has built up a loyal following and they are obsessed with her style so much that they want to be just like her.
So now she’s giving back to her ‘community’, allowing them to access clothes designed by her.
However, she’s also a shrewd businesswoman. Arguably the most successful contestant to come out of the villa to date, she’s already had six figure clothing deals and a successful beauty range.
She knows that for her fashion brand to be a true success she needs to attract a wider market.
That’s probably why she chose to partner with premium digital magazine Sheer Luxe to have the first exclusive look. This signals who she wants this brand to be associated with – the stylish woman in her mid twenties and upwards, who wants to splash the cash occasionally and prioritises style and comfort.
The vibe is less is more – a capsule collection of luxury items that you can mix and match – unlike when she was creative director of fast fashion brand Pretty Little Thing between 2021 and 2023.
Molly describes her brand as being “inspired by my own journey into womanhood and motherhood.”
That comes through in the pieces – they are timeless, sleek and wearable but with a luxe edge.
The campaign was shot in what looks to be a stately home – the whole vibe is giving wealth, but with clothes that are just about affordable to the masses.
And whilst the designs aren’t groundbreaking, they are smart and, for many, worth the investment.
Standout pieces in the collection include the oversized blazers and the seam front jeans – these are sure to be sellouts. However, other pieces, like the knits and basic tops for example, you can find similar in shops such as H&M and Zara.
In the campaign images featuring Molly herself she looks somewhat glum – and who can blame her after the shock split from Tommy Fury last month – but it’s clear that things are looking up for her.
This project will be a welcome distraction and she is once again in control of the narrative, with this brand marking the start of the next chapter of her life. Molly-Mae 2.0 has arrived.
Now in her mid twenties and a mother (she was 19 when entering the Love Island villa), she’s clearly a career driven young woman with big ambitions – and will slot in quite nicely with the fash pack.
She’s already been mingling with A-list models at Paris Fashion Week, having been invited to the L’Oreal show alongside Kendall Jenner and Cara Delevigne.
And we all know of another Hertfordshire girl who went from pop culture icon to front row royalty. Who’s to say Molly-Mae Hague can’t be the next Victoria Beckham? Anything is possible these days.”
“I bought a whole jogger set today for less than you are selling 1 thing sorry.”
“You need to reconsider your prices,” someone else urged, tagging Molly-Mae.
There were some people who took the plunge and ordered from the Daily Errands range though, with one calling the tracksuit “incredible and iconic”.
“The brown is 10/10, would be PERFECT for autumn,” another gushed.
Molly-Mae’s sister Zoe Rae was among those who purchased the new tracksuit, as she took to her Instagram Stories to share her basket – into which she’d added two pairs of joggers, two fitted shirts, the collared sweatshirt and the hoodie.
Her total was a whopping £420.
“I’m a happy girl and also a very proud one,” Zoe wrote over the top of a screenshot of her basket.
Molly previously said that the criticism she’d received for the Maebe jacket – which she blamed on a fabric mixup – had “massively knocked” her confidence.
“It makes me feel crap,” she sighed.
“It’s my worst nightmare. I want people to love it, and I want this to be a huge success.”
In addition, the same fabric – which was different to the one that had been signed off on – was used to produce two coats in later collections.
£170 for a tracksuit??? Are you for real? LMAO!
Shocked Instagram commenter
The error meant that Molly-Mae and her team had to pull thousands of items, with Maebe suffering a massive £500,000 loss.
The latest blow surrounding Maebe comes amid rumours Molly-Mae has reunited with ex-fiancé Tommy Fury – the father of her daughter Bambi.
Molly-Mae and Tommy, both 25, left fans completely stunned last August after they announced the end of their relationship on social media.
However, lately the Love Island stars have been dropping clues left right and centre that they have reunited, which included spending Valentine’s together.
They hired a babysitter to take care of their daughter Bambi, so they could get some alone time.
Despite Molly-Mae’s friends and family not being happy about them giving it another go, Tommy hopes their trip is another step towards getting their relationship back on track.
