I TRY MY BEST TO BE A POSITIVE ROLE MODEL...
PRUDENCE WADE talks style and sustainability with influencer and fashion designer Molly-Mae Hague
EX-LOVE Islander Molly-Mae Hague insists her approach to fashion hasn’t changed since Covid hit.
While everyone else was slowly sliding into trackies and elasticated waistbands, Molly-Mae says she was already there. “I’ve always been very relaxed, I have to feel comfy,” says the 22-year-old.
“I can’t wear anything that’s restrictive or makes me feel unconfident or uncomfortable.
“Tracksuits are my go-to I love being comfy.”
That’s not to say Molly-Mae, who’s been dating boxer Tommy Fury since they met on the ITV dating show in 2019, slouches about in any old tracksuit.
As PrettyLittleThing’s creative director, her Instagram page (6.2 million followers and counting) is full of chic outfits.
She says: “Day-to-day I do like my chilled clothes, but then I love that dressy side as well – when you’re going on a date night or for meetings, I love to have that boss woman vibe.”
This is reflected in her latest PrettyLittleThing (PLT) collection. Molly-Mae describes the clothes as having “that London city girl” look, and one of her inspirations was Princess Diana and her “cycling shorts and sweaters”.
Some were surprised when Molly-Mae was given the role of creative director in 2021, particularly when most creative directors at major fashion brands have a lot more years of experience.
She explains: “I went to the Fashion Retail Academy, so I knew fashion was always what I wanted to do. It’s been my passion since I was a young girl, so I feel like it’s led me to exactly where I wanted to be in this role.
“I’ve taken a nice organic growth from influencer, through to ambassador, now creative director – it’s felt right. If you count the years before Love Island, I’ve been working with them [PLT] for five years.”
Recently, Molly-Mae came under fire for comments on The Diary Of A CEO podcast, where she said: “You’re given one life and it’s down to you what you do with it.” A clip from the interview went viral on Twitter, where Molly-Mae was criticised for being unaware of her privilege.
Her first response was to say her comments were “technically” correct, but she later apologised, saying she never meant any “malice or ill intent”.
Speaking about social media in general, Molly-Mae says: “It’s tricky, because with six million people watching your every move, it’s not possible to keep everyone happy at every time.
“I try my best to be a positive role model, and I think it’s good for young girls as well to see a woman in the role that I have now, and see the sky’s the limit.”
As a brand, PrettyLittleThing has been criticised for pushing fast fashion.
This is definitely something Molly-Mae wants to combat – particularly with the upcoming launch of PLT marketplace.
“[It’s] an app where PLT customers can resell their PLT pre-loved pieces – and not just PLT pieces, they can sell anything”, she explains.
“This is going to be huge for sustainability, and pushing people to think maybe [their clothes] could be worn by someone else and not thrown away.
“There [is] this weird culture where you wear an outfit once and you can’t wear it again, but I don’t believe in that.
“For me, that’s not the point of buying clothes. You buy them to re-wear them, to restyle them, to continue loving them – and not have as throwaway fashion.”