Can you tell us a little about yourselves?
Rachel and I (Anj) are the co-founders of our Wellington-based brand twenty-seven names. We like long walks on the beach, tiramisu, and romantic comedies. We started making things together in Rachel’s final year of art school in 2005 and almost 20 years later we’re still up to no good.
How long have you been friends for, and what’s it like to work so closely together all these years later?
We met at Karori Normal Primary school when we were 9. Rachel is a natural at everything and I found this initially problematic until I discovered at 13 that her talents could be mutually beneficial and we’ve been best friends ever since.
It’s the best, what more could you want than to spend your working hours with your best friend. We have a shared history and shorthand that never fails us. I feel extremely lucky to have Rachel in my life, and she puts up with me pretty well for the most part.
Do you have one tidbit of advice for longevity in business you could share?
You Do You Boo. You have to just stay true to what matters to you and what you're trying to put out there in the world. Trying to please others has never got us anywhere good.
What book do you always recommend to others?
Anj - Greta and Valdin. I could go on for hours about how cool I think Rebecca K. Reilly is, how funny this book is, how she wrote a book about Tāmaki Makaurau and yet also managed to capture Pōneke in the most hilarious, relatable way. I will never stop recommending this book.
Also - Demon Copperhead, I loved this book. The light feedback I received from friends was they found it initially hard to get into with the patois and maybe feeling like it was going to be too literary, I would just say persevere because once you get into it you can’t put it down. And this is coming from someone who first spelt ‘persevere’ as ‘perverse’ - so I feel like I’m in a fair position to make that call. It’s awesome to see Kingsolver achieve so much success with this book later on in her career - you love to see it.
Rachel - Americanah, the love story was really compelling and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is so clever.
What are you watching on TV right now?
Anj - I am Celebrity Treasure Island obsessed. This is the world’s best television show IMHO. If you don’t know, now you know.
Rachel - I'm going through a sporty phase atm - Stephen Curry’s Underrated and The Tour de France doc Unchained.
Podcast episode you have recently loved..
We’ve all been thoroughly enjoying 60 Songs That Explain the ‘90s in the TSN studio.
Rachel’s favourite so far has been the Cranberries - Zombie and mine Blink-182 - What’s My Age Again.
Tell us what reading means to you…
Reading was something I had to work hard at when I was younger, but despite this I was always in love with the chance to disappear into a different world - imagined or otherwise. I love to learn about something new and experience different perspectives. It isn’t always easy to find the time to read but there’s nothing like being on a good run of books.
What have been your favourite books for 2024?
Anjali - Amma - This was SO good. My mum immigrated from India to Gore in 1979 so parts of this book hit pretty hard. The Marriage Portrait - I thought I would hate this book because it’s olde timey, and jumps around with timing and places - which as a self declared idiot, I can find a little confusing BUT I loved this book. I just finished All Fours which I loved. The line about massaging the nutritional yeast into the kale for her kid’s lunch box - hilarious. I also just read Beautiful World, Where Are You? I’m not sure how I missed this in 2021. But I loved this too.
Rachel - I’ve been reading a bit more this year, and so I have read Amma, The Marriage Portrait and Still Life, along with Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow and The Rachel Incident.
What books are on your summer wish list?
Anjali - Doppelganger, Naomi Klein. Willow at TSN provides me with most of my recommendations. She has never put me wrong and gives the best recommendations. She's put Still Life, Sarah Winman on my list and Viv Albertine’s two memoirs which I somehow haven’t got to yet.
Rachel - All Fours. Anjali is obviously also encouraging me to read Demon Copperhead.
