Anna-Alexia Basile + Nkechi Njaka
FRIENDS IN LOVE AND TRUST
Interview by Harper Brokaw-Falbo | Photographs by Emily Scott
November 5, 2019
Anna-Alexia Basile and Nkechi Njaka sit on the pink couch in the lounge of the Proper Hotel, in their perfectly coordinated white short-suites. Their trust in one another is immediately clear from their body language; their legs bend into one another, knees touching, in a way that only happens with corporal familiarity. They order the same food, style their hair in a similar way, and yes, sometimes end up in matching white outfits on the stairs of City Hall holding bouquets, but they would have you know they are not the same person.
They do have a similar sense of humor, to the point where they can make eye contact and burst out laughing because, in an instant, one of them knows that the other is gawking at the rat-tail at the next table. Theirs is a friendship that makes you want to be a better friend. “We often talk multiple times a day,” states Nkechi, immediately making me think about how I haven’t called a few of my friends in...a long time. They don’t finish each other’s sentences, but intensely listen to one another speak, each offering a balanced perspective, and occasionally filling in the gaps of a story or thought for the other.
“All the best things came at a time when we didn’t expect to find a best friendship.”
When asked about their origin story, they both tell different stories. For Anna-Alexia, it was natural and unexpected, stating “All the best things came at a time when we didn’t expect to find a best friendship.” For Nkechi, it was when Anna, out of the blue purchased a pair of shoes for her and it hit her, “oh my god, she is a good friend.”
The alchemy of their relationship is collaboration rooted in friendship and vice versa. When I ask about their working style, they respond that there is no off switch. “As freelancers, there is really no separation...it’s all intertwined. We’ll be screaming about how a client hasn’t paid us, then screaming about how bi-rite didn’t take my kombucha back,” emphasizes Anna.
Make it stand out
When asked about how they complement one another, and whether or not one of them is the left brain to the other’s right, they say no. In fact, Basile says she is often mischaracterized as the “organized” one, but really they both bring similar things to the table. I am reminded that being around someone who you simply trust and love can be inspiration enough, and lift you up to your highest power.
“We have had scenarios that aren’t what you would think of as fun, like when we were once stuck at the airport, hungry with no money and Nkechi magically pulls out a ‘purse avocado’ that we ate out of a cup with packets of airport salt and pepper. ”
In the right company, a terrible scenario, like being trapped in an airport with no money and one lonely avocado, can become fun. Laughing a lot can lighten the load, and when you’re doing something you like, work ceases to be work and simply becomes something you love that just so happens to pay you. When asked if they ever butt heads, they say that they talk too often for that to happen.
It’s hard to be positive without coming across as fake, but they are genuinely excited about what they are doing, that it’s impossible to not see it for what it is: real and honest optimism.
When asked if their friendship intrudes on their romantic relationships, Basile, who is in a relationship, says it's the opposite. “He loves Nkechi, like, from afar, because he knows how much I love her.”
Their friendship is actually something that her partner understands makes her happy. I wonder how many relationships would be better if partners adopted this type of attitude.
When I asked them to elaborate on their work, they skirted around definition-type words and instead left it open. Yes, they have traveled to faraway places on photo shoots, but that is just the leftover ephemera of two intertwined individuals who are rooted in their overlapping personhoods. “We’re waiting for someone to help us start our tour,” states Anna, the tour being, them being themselves around other people, which may sound far fetched, but feels incredibly possible when you’re in their company.
Their gift is that they create a palpable orbit of possibility, and you’re fortunate if you get pulled into it for a moment. You walk away feeling it within yourself and want to pick up the phone and call the person who inspires you and finally starts that project that you’ve been circling around. I can only hope that the Anna-Alexia Basile & Nkechi Njaka tour gets off the ground very soon, as I’ll be one of the first in line for tickets.