IF you set your alarm for 7pm last night in the hope that you would stock up on the new Maebe drops, don’t worry, so did thousands of other Molly-Mae fans.
But shoppers have been left raging after the Maebe restock was almost entirely sold out in just three minutes.
I’m a huge Molly-Mae fan and ever since the blonde beauty walked into the Love Island villa, I’ve been hooked by her every move.
Her response to her break-up touched my heart, her solo parenting left me inspired and I’m always keen to hear her beauty recommendations, but now, I’m annoyed.
I recently admitted that I was gutted when I saw the Maebe pricing and now, I hate to say it, but I think Molly-Mae, who’s estimated to be worth over £6 million, could be entering a risky territory.
I’ve watched Molly-Mae’s vlogs religiously for years and yes, I’m one of the 8.3 million who avidly follows her on Instagram.
I was excited after initially hearing the news that she was coming out with a fashion brand, but the pricing, with items varying from £35 to £140, had me stunned.
And now, the unbelievably quick Maebe ‘sellouts’ have my eyebrows raised.
Yes, the Maebe items are meant to be good quality, staple pieces that will last you years.
But with her audience predominantly Gen Zs, those mostly teens and twenties, it’s hard to believe that people with the lowest incomes are actually able to splash the cash on Maebe buys.
If you take a quick look at the Maebe website, you’ll see that all 15 items are sold out.
There was a range of new fashion pieces in the latest release, including the Sofia cosy cropped cardigan, which was priced at £65.
There was also the new Sofia knit sweater, which would set fashion fans back a jaw-dropping £55.
And yes, I find it hard to believe that the pricey buys, which many of us simply can’t afford, sold out in less than five minutes.
I mean, after all, it takes longer than that to add items to your cart and type in your card details.
And I’m not the only one who’s not convinced by the insanely fast sellout either.
Reality is she is only restocking for a handful of each item so you all think it’s super popular! Don’t be fooled
Instagram user
Last night, just minutes after the Maebe restock, fans were sent into a total frenzy when they realised they couldn’t get their hands on the chic fashion pieces.
As a result, a number of social media users and avid Molly-Mae fans questioned whether a sneaky marketing strategy had been deployed, to create extra hype and anticipation around the brand.
One person said: “This is called strategic marketing to create demand. Not very good for building a loyal customer base. [I] like Molly but this isn’t cool.”
Strategic marketing is a process that helps attract an audience to a business and drive revenue.
A pillar of strategic marketing involves scarcity marketing, something that Kylie Jenner has previously been accused of for Kylie Cosmetics, whereby limited product drops and exclusivity create urgency, driving customer engagement and faster sales.
A second commented: “Very clever marketing! Restocking a limited amount of items to create the illusion it’s super popular!! Reality is she is only restocking for a handful of each item so you all think it’s super popular! Don’t be fooled.”
At the same time, one fan claimed: “That wasn’t a restock”, which another expressed: “I was on at 7pm sharp and everything was still “sold out “ or coming soon. There were no jeans, blazers etc available at 7pm.”
Not only this, but another fan admitted: “I always really liked you and followed your vlogs, you seemed nice. This marketing strategy seems very calculated and makes me feel like you are taking your fans for a ride to make them want it more, that feels off.”
And I have to say, I agree with fans that there may be a clever trick involved here.
The first Maebe drop sold out in just 24 minutes, but this time, with most items unavailable to buy within a mere three minutes, I’m not surprised that fashionistas are fuming.
Yes, the Maebe buys are gorgeous, but with most of us counting the pounds as a result of the cost-of-living crisis, who can actually afford to break the bank on a £140 blazer or a pair of jeans for £90?
The mum-of-one, who recently called it quits with Tommy Fury, the father of her child Bambi, took to her Instagram stories shortly after the Maebe sell-out, to thank fans for their purchases.
Expressing her disbelief at the ‘sellout’, the influencer explained: “You’ll have to excuse the state of me but I can’t not come on here and say I’m in a complete state of shock.”
Molly-Mae confirmed that after just three minutes, “nearly everything was gone”, as she continued: “I literally cannot wrap my head around it, I really, truly, did not think it was going to be that quick this time. At all.
“All I can say is thank you so much, this is just blowing my mind.
Will I be buying anything from Maebe? The only thing I can say to that is Maebe (definitely) not
Abigail Wilson
“I’m hoping really soon we’ll get to a point where there will be stock on site always, as this sellout situation is, I know, really frustrating for people that want to get things.
“It’s crazy, I can’t believe it.
“But thank you so much to anyone that did get on and get anything and to those that didn’t, we’ll be back really soon.”
After working for two years on the “passion project”, Molly-Mae, who is from Hitchin, Hertfordshire, claimed she poured her heart into creating “high-quality pieces” at an “accessible price point.”
But if you ask me, there’s nothing “accessible” about items selling out faster than you can remember your PayPal details.
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.”
She’s arguably the most famous influencer in the UK and the most successful star to come from the ITV dating show, and she’s built up a loyal following with fans that follow her every move.
But I wonder if Molly-Mae’s Maebe restocks put her at risk of losing her fans for good.
It’s clear that her followers are fuming at not being able to make purchases from Maebe – and if this continues to happen every time new stock is available, I fear for Molly-Mae’s once loyal fan base.
So, will I be buying anything from Maebe? The only thing I can say to that is Maebe (definitely) not.
Yes, I’ll admit, the majority of the pieces are gorgeous. They’re timeless, chic and incredibly flattering, but I don’t fancy breaking my neck sprinting to nab my laptop just to get on the website at release o’clock.
