Molly-Mae Hague on her new fashion line: I wanted to tell my daughter, ‘I did it myself’

Influencer and former Love Islander Molly-Mae Hague has opened up about her decision to fully fund her own fashion line.

Hague, who has a one-year-old daughter, Bambi, 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 myself.”

In an interview with online lifestyle magazine SheerLuxe, she said: “There are no investors – I funded everything myself and did 90% of the project myself, so it really was a labour of love.”

Hague, 25, split from her Love Island beau Fury, 25, in August this year. The pair were engaged when they split.

“I started working on Maebe before I was pregnant with Bambi – it was something I always dreamed of doing,” Hague told SheerLuxe.

“Since starting Maebe, I’ve become a mom, so I’ve naturally evolved in so many ways. First of all, my wardrobe has changed a lot, and leaving one piece out reflects that—it really represents who I am now.”

Hague revealed that she would like her daughter Bambi to learn to work independently and be self-reliant, saying: “I want her to be able to fend for herself, just like I am.”

“I also surround myself with like-minded, ambitious working mothers—I share an office space with an inspiring jewelry entrepreneur—and I take advice from all my friends who run successful brands and businesses.”

As for the brand’s aesthetic, Hague explained how her approach to fashion has changed significantly since becoming a mother. “When we started, I envisioned it as a tracksuit brand – I still love my tracksuits, but they’re not as big as they were three years ago!”

The collection will feature a range of jackets, tops and trousers inspired by TikTok’s “old money” aesthetic – the tag currently has 748.2k views on the video-sharing site.

“I first fell in love with the old English, old money aesthetic – a lot of the mood boards looked a bit traditional, a bit masculine,” Hague said.

“I pinned photos of dark oak rooms, leather sofas and men smoking cigars. I haven’t seen that from any other brand – the references are old, but at the same time feel modern and feminine.”

Hague revealed that her own style inspiration is celebrity stylist Melissa Holdbrook-Akposoe, known on Instagram as Melissa’s Wardrobe.

“I feel like she’s becoming my friend now – we talk a lot on Instagram because I’m a huge fan of hers. I just can’t help but respond to everything she posts.

“I also thought she was hilarious — and the fact that she had a secret baby was iconic. If I ever have another baby, I definitely will.”

This isn’t Hague’s first fashion venture. The star was named creative director of fast fashion brand PrettyLittleThing in August 2021, before stepping down in June 2023 to focus on being a mother.

When it came to designing Maebe’s clothes, Hague said she was surprised by the process: “I was surprised by how intense the attention to detail was. But I wouldn’t have done it any other way – it had to be perfect.”

Hague’s first drop will be an in-person pop-up on September 21, followed by an online launch on September 29. Prices for the pieces start at £35, and the influencer told SheerLuxe: “I know the moment someone comes to the pop-up and touches the jacket, they understand the price.

“Nobody felt the weight of the jacket and said it wasn’t worth it. When you’re an internet brand and you launch it, all you see is a picture and a price. I wanted people to really feel what they were getting into.”

You can sign up to shop the collection at Maebe.co.uk.