‘Maebe is glorified PLT’ Molly Mae fans rage after spotting PrettyLittleThing clothes made with ‘better’ materials

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.”