Text & Photography

Nabihah IqbalMusician

Nabihah Iqbal is a Londoner, born and bred. A musician, producer, DJ and broadcaster, her debut album, Weighing of the Heart, was released by Ninja Tune in December 2017. She is currently working on her second album at her studio in Somerset House, where she is an artist-in-residence. She hosts a biweekly radio show on NTS Radio which explores different types of music from all over the world, and has recently completed a radio residency on the BBC.

Even though I bought this dress maybe five or six years back, from my local UNIQLO on Oxford St. in London, I still wear it a lot. It’s a really reliable and versatile piece and there are so many things which I love about it. First of all, it is 100% pure silk, and as someone who prefers the comfort of natural fabrics as opposed to synthetics, this is something I really appreciate. When I put it on, it just feels good on my skin! It’s a dress that I can wear in a million different ways and that is a bonus. I usually travel a lot because of touring and I love taking this dress with me. It’s lightweight and it folds up nice and small –– plus I can wear it casually with trainers or sandals, or put on some jewellery and more outlandish footwear and it becomes a totally different look. I’ve worn it on stage before too –– I have a vintage black leather waistcoat with loads of metal studs and I love wearing that on top of this dress because it looks cool, but also comfortable and that is important for me when I’m performing. If you don’t feel good, it’s hard to look good. Also, there is a point which I cannot forget to mention and that is –– IT HAS POCKETS! What a godsend. I’m always complaining about dresses and other clothes for women which either don’t have any pockets, or they have pockets which are so tight and small that they are useless. But not this dress! It has two concealed pockets and I was so happy when I discovered that. So not only does this dress look beautiful, it is a very useful piece too.