When Adidas Originals dropped its collaboration with Manchester-based creator Molly-Mae Hague on April 9, the collection was gone almost before it arrived.
The range went on sale on Adidas’s website on Thursday morning and sold out online in just minutes.
As a L’Oreal Ambassador alongside Eva Longoria and Kendal Jenner, Hague has already proven she can hold her own at the highest level of brand partnerships.
In September 2024 she added founder to her CV, launching her highly anticipated womenswear label Maebe, headquartered in South Manchester.
With record-breaking Q3 2025 revenues of €6.63bn and upgraded its full-year operating profit forecast to €2bn, it’s clear that Adidas as a brand is at the top of its game, and it doesn’t make partnership decisions lightly.
Previous Adidas partnerships include David Beckham, Bad Bunny and Pharrell Williams. Hague is standing shoulder to shoulder with these big names.
And it’s working – online search demand for ‘Adidas’ at JD Sports rose by one and a half times on the day the release date was announced.
Over the week leading up to launch, searches for ‘Samba’ were up 35 per cent and ‘Superstar’ up 58 per cent.
Searches combining ‘Molly-Mae’ and ‘Adidas’ grew by 2,667 per cent, while searches for ‘Molly-Mae’ alone increased by 3,700 per cent.
Steve Marks, Adidas VP Brand in North Europe, framed the rationale clearly: “We partner with individuals who define style through authenticity and a deep-rooted connection to our brand. Molly-Mae’s relationship with Adidas Originals has developed organically over time.”
It’s clear Adidas are signalling their intention to go after the next generation of female customers. Will we see more creator-led collections over one-off influencer promotions by consumer brands?
The proof will be in the conversions and the repeat visits – and loyalty to an established creator is likely to deliver both.
For anyone building businesses and personal brands, Hague’s trajectory is worth paying attention to.