About
Artwear built around restraint.
DO NOT TOUCH sits between clothing and artwork. We make oversized, heavyweight tees with quiet fronts and considered artwork on the back. Pieces built to be noticed slowly, not shouted about.
The brand
Made to tempt, not shout.
The brand runs on tension: the urge to touch the texture, the discipline not to over-design, and the belief that a T-shirt can carry real artwork without becoming loud.
Every release starts as an image or a visual idea, then gets treated like an object. Framed, placed, scaled, and printed onto a 250 GSM combed heavyweight blank with structure and clean drape.
We work from Cape Town, South Africa. Pieces are made in small production batches and printed per order, so the focus stays on intent rather than bulk stock.
Alongside the founding release, our DJ series turns designs from the artists we work with into wearable pieces, with 10% of every sale going back to the artist. Same standard. Same blank. A different hand behind the artwork.
Considered. Textured. Made to tempt, not shout.
Born behind the decks.
Music is part of the collection through the people who make it. The DJ series brings artist names and artwork onto the same heavyweight blank used for the founding release. Each design has its own identity, with a shared approach to placement, proportion and wear. You can choose the artist you follow or simply the piece that feels right on you.
The relationship continues after the design is printed. Ten percent of every DJ series sale goes to the artist. It is a straightforward part of the collection, with the same detail stated on each artist's product page.
Why 250 GSM
The fabric is part of the design. We use 250 GSM combed heavyweight cotton because the piece needs presence before the artwork is added. The cut is oversized and boxy, with room through the body and a deliberate drape. The shirt provides a frame of its own: a broad, uncomplicated shape around the image.
Weight alone does not tell you how a shirt will fit. The proportions matter too. Our size guide gives flat garment measurements in centimetres, so you can compare the chest and length with a tee you already enjoy wearing. Every size uses the same approach to a relaxed, structured silhouette.
Printed per order in Cape Town
DO NOT TOUCH works from Cape Town. The collection is printed per order, so your choice of design, colour and size starts the process. The shirts are made to order and do not sell out. There is no restock queue to join and no need to rush a decision because of a stock countdown.
The first release brings together Ocean, Dunes, Forest and Fire. Each holds a different image inside the same idea of restraint. The DJ series sits alongside those four, using the same weight and oversized fit. Both are available as part of the current collection.
The artists
Kurt April, Phee, Challenge, Gheko and Uzuri each have a design in the DJ collection. Their pieces share a blank, but the artwork belongs to a different creative voice. The product pages explain each design and the artist share without asking the clothing to tell a biography it cannot.
For DJs and artists who want their own piece, the Custom option is the starting point. Bring your name to the collection, discuss the design directly with the brand and see how the first commission and future artist share work before ordering.