PrettyLittleThing’s creative director addresses criticism around wealth inequality comments

Less than five months into her position as PrettyLittleThing’s creative director, Molly-Mae Hague has already faced a cohort of criticism following comments she made on the Diary of a CEO podcast.

In the episode, Hague said: “I just think you’re given one life and it’s down to you what you do with it. You can literally go in any direction.”

She added that she has previously been “slammed” for saying “we all have the same 24 hours in a day”, a comment which people claimed overlooked her privilege and others’ disadvantages.

She went on to say: “But technically what I’m saying is correct. We do. I understand that we all have different backgrounds and we’re all raised in different ways and we do have different financial situations, but I do think if you want something enough, you can achieve it.”

Since the episode’s release back in December 2021, Hague’s comments have been met with widespread backlash, with many online saying she was insensitive and didn’t acknowledge systemic oppression, which can often cause wealth inequality.

Following a lengthy silence that was only once filled by a statement from her representative, Hague has now personally responded to the criticism in an Instagram post in which she noted that she never intended to cause an upset with her statements.

“I apologise to the people that have been affected negatively or misunderstood the meaning of what I said in the podcast,” she added. “The intentions of the podcast were only ever to tell my story and inspire from my own experience.”

The 22-year-old television personality and influencer was appointed as the Boohoo-owned brand’s creative director in August 2021, continuing on from her regular collaborations and partnerships with the retailer.

However, PrettyLittleThing has also faced criticism of its own, as its parent company has come under fire on a number of occasions for accusations surrounding the exploitation of its garment workers.

Since 2020, investigations by different publications, which have centred mostly around Boohoo’s Leicester factory, found that employees were not paid minimum wage and were also told not to discuss their pay with other employees. The findings were confirmed by both Sky News and The Sunday Times, which both reported evidence of exploitation at the factory.

In August 2021, the company responded to accusations with an initiative that invited people to come and view its factories for themselves, stating at the time that “customers can be confident in our operations and the way in which we are working with suppliers to drive positive change”.