Influencer and ex-Love Islander Molly-Mae Hague has told of her decision to completely self-fund her new fashion line.
Hague, who has a daughter Bambi, one, with British boxer Tommy Fury, explained that launching her womenswear line, Maebe, as “independently as possible was really important to me”, adding: “I wanted to be able to say to Bambi in the future that I did it alone.”
She said in an interview with online lifestyle magazine SheerLuxe: “There are no investors – I’ve funded it completely and done 90% of it myself, so it really has been a labour of love.”
Hague, 25, split with her Love Island sweetheart Fury, 25, in August of this year. The couple were engaged when they broke up.
“I started working on Maebe before I fell pregnant with Bambi – it had always been a dream,” Hague told SheerLuxe.
“Since I started Maebe I’ve become a mum, so naturally, I’ve grown in so many ways. For one, my wardrobe’s changed a lot and drop one reflects that – it really represents who I am now.”
Hague revealed that she wanted her daughter Bambi to learn to work independently and be self-reliant, noting: “I want her to be able to figure things out for herself in the same way I have.
“I have also surrounded myself with like-minded, ambitious working mums – I share my office space with an inspiring jewellery entrepreneur – and I take advice from all my friends who have successful brands and businesses.”
When it came to the brand’s aesthetic, Hague talked about how her approach to fashion has changed significantly since becoming a mother. “When we started, I envisaged it as a tracksuit brand – I still love my tracksuits but they’re not exactly big in the same way as three years ago!”
The line will include an array of blazers, tops and trousers, inspired by TikTok’s ‘old money’ aesthetic – a tag that currently has 748.2k hits on the video sharing site.
“I first fell in love with an old English, old money aesthetic – a lot of the moodboards looked a bit traditional, a bit masculine,” said Hague.
“I was Pinning pictures of dark oak rooms, leather sofas and men smoking cigars. I haven’t seen that from another brand – the references are old, but they also feel modern and feminine.”
Hague revealed that her own style inspiration is celebrity fashion stylist Melissa Holdbrook-Akposoe, known as Melissa’s Wardrobe on Instagram.
“I feel like she’s becoming a friend now – we talk quite a bit on Instagram as I’m such a fan. I just can’t help but reply to everything she posts.
“I also think she’s hilarious – and the fact that she had a secret baby was iconic. If I ever have another baby, I will definitely be doing that.”
This isn’t the first fashion venture Hague has embarked upon. The star became fast fashion brand PrettyLittleThing’s creative director in August 2021, and subsequently stepped down from the role in June 2023 to focus on being a mother.
When it came to designing the garments for Maebe, Hague said she was taken aback with the process: “I have been surprised by how intense the attention to detail needs to be. I wouldn’t have done it any other way though – it needed to be perfect.”
Hague’s first drop will be in the form of an in person pop-up on September 21, followed by the online launch on September 29. Pieces will start at £35, with the influencer telling SheerLuxe: “I know the minute someone comes into the pop-up and feels the blazer they’ll understand the price point.
“No one has felt the weight of the blazer and said it’s not worth it. When you’re an online brand and you launch, all you see is a picture and a price. I wanted people to really get a feel for what they’re buying into.”
You can sign up to shop the collection at Maebe.co.uk.