Meet the Jewelry Brand Founder Who Once "Proposed" to Hailey Bieber

Not many young brand founders can say they went viral on TikTok for proposing to Hailey Bieber in front of Justin, but Amaan Duffer -- aka the founder of rising jewelry brand Basliq -- is one of the few who can. The video in question (actually first posted on Hypebae's TikTok page) sees Duffer approaching Bieber at a Moncler Genius event during London Fashion Week and seemingly, getting rejected.

Though Bieber wasn't immediately on board back then, she's since joined a growing roster of celebrity fans of the brand, including Bella Hadid, Beyonce, Winnie Harlow and Anok Yai -- each drawn to its playful aesthetic and unique designs. Ahead of the fashion week season, we caught up with Duffer to find out more about how Basliq came about and what its plans for the future hold.

Read on for the full interview, plus more on that Hailey Bieber moment...

OK, we have to start with that viral Hailey Bieber moment. What on earth happened?!
Well, she broke my heart. No, I'm kidding. So I was trying to give her a ring because her stylist had actually requested it for the London trip that she was on. I had shipped it to LA but it got to LA too late and she was already in London. I normally carry a little goodie bag inside whatever handbag I'm wearing with some Basliq jewelry inside it for opportunities just like this. So when I saw her at the Moncler event I thought, "This is my window. Let me just slide in." And, unfortunately, it didn't work.

It didn't work, did it... You became known as the man who proposed to Hailey Bieber in front of Justin and got rejected.
I was getting a LOT of random troll comments on my own TikTok page, and then there was a Buzzfeed article about the boy who tried to propose to Hailey. The funny thing is, I actually saw them again, like, immediately after the Moncler event and I got to explain like "Hi, I wasn't trying to propose to you. I'm not crazy. I've been speaking with your stylist, and she really liked this ring for you. It just didn't get to you in time."

Amazing. Did she take the ring?
She took the ring! So for anyone who didn't know, I guess I successfully proposed.

Incredible. Now that we've cleared that up, tell us a bit about the decision behind starting Basliq, how did the brand come about?
Since I can remember, my dream was fashion. I have a sketchbook from when I was about 10 years old full of designs. I grew up in a small town outside of Manchester, so far removed from the sparkles I read about in magazines. I felt like I had to do something bold to get there so the brand initially started as a ready-to-wear brand, I wanted to study womenswear at CSM! I began building out this brand thinking it would help me get there... It didn't, but within that journey, I had found my passion for jewelry design. People had started to recognize the work and it was cool to see that. By the time I got rejected from CSM, Bella Hadid, Winnie Harlow and Doja Cat had all worn Basliq.

What can you tell us about the name, where does it come from?
I studied Latin and classics my entire school career and was close to carrying on with it at university. The word Basliq is actually ancient Greek, it's a derivative of their word for "thriving." That's how I want to make people feel when they wear my stuff.

How would you describe the visual identity of the brand? Who is it for?
It's for hot girls, it's for anyone to wear and access that side of themselves and feel powerful. We're not trying to force some perfect clean girl aesthetic, the brand very much exists within the context of the customer. I feel like our Instagram feed reflects the vibe of our audience.

Since its inception, Basliq has garnered a pretty impressive following of celebrity fans -- who has been the most exciting for you?
This is really difficult! Bella Hadid has always been at the top of my list so seeing her in Basliq more than just once is still one of my biggest pinch-me moments! I've got to say, my first Met moment takes the crown though. My package got lost in shipping and a friend had to get a cab to JFK and then run it uptown to deliver it in time. We didn't know if it had worked out or not until we started watching the live stream. But Anok Yai, who is one of my closest friends, is maybe the most fun to be able to dress up, she just makes everything look expensive and she truly is the definition of a Basliq girl.

Tell us a bit about your creative process, how do you begin with a new design?
I'm still figuring out my process, I think! I used to try and blast out 30-50 designs and release them in a collection but I've learned that what I make is so personal it doesn't work that way. Once I’ve got the ideas I'll draw it about 9172 times and from there I'll sample it! I always road-test my samples with friends before producing something. I don't think it's enough to just be pretty. If I'm expecting someone to invest their money into my designs, I want them to connect with it. I need it to draw an emotion and create that joy that I feel every time i open my jewelry box.

Where does your inspiration come from?
Everything comes from a story, either reflecting something happening in my own life or a conversation. I really enjoy drawing on emotion and translating that into something wearable. It's kind of like my therapy. I strip it down massively but there are little details of my life in every piece.

Is there anything you're working on at the moment that you can tell us about?
I have a super exciting retail launch with a major name later this year!

Finally, what are your plans or hopes for the future of Basliq? What does that look like for you?
I want the brand to continue to grow and build the strong community we have been doing so far. I want to make a million girls feel their best. I'd love the chance to build out the Basliq world more through experiences and create more joy.