[Translate to Englisch:] Fleischauslage bestehend aus genähten Kissen

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A meaty make – Meet the vegetarian designer behind snuggly sausages

Translate the name of textile brand “Aufschnitt Berlin”, and you see what you get: cold cuts of meat. This designer label produces off-the-wall pieces: Sausages, steaks and offal – stitched onto fleecy fabric. So, what's the story behind it? Where did the idea of bringing two contrasting ideas together and making gifts out of them even come from?

[Translate to Englisch:] Flauschiges Kissen in Form eines Herzens

Pretty polar opposites: chunks of meat on one side and beautifully soft materials and fabrics on the other. Could the appeal of the snuggly sausages and other gifts resulting from this marriage of ideas stem from its absurdity? Or perhaps they're just a humorous and functional gift idea for true meat lovers looking for something to cuddle up to?

How a sausage badge became the heart of a business

Ironically, Aufschnitt Berlin's founder and managing director, Silvia Wald, is a vegetarian. When looking for a name for this former pattern cutting and production studio, the name "Aufschnitt" came about during a bit of word play: the "Schnitt" part comes from the word "Schnittkonstruktion", which means pattern construction, while the term "Aufschnitt" is the German word for cold cuts of sausage.

It all began with mini sausage badges that were given out as promotional gifts for clients in the fashion industry. Very soon, these curious gifts attracted attention. In fact, they were so well received that the former studio soon evolved into what is now the Aufschnitt label.

[Translate to Englisch:] Inhaberin Silvia Wald hinter der flauschigen Wursttheke

A fascination for fabric

Silvia Wald had always been "fascinated in how a piece of fabric could create a three-dimensional piece of clothing."
And a sense of fun and passion still goes into her fabric creations to this day – all of which are hand-sewn using traditional sewing techniques! The extraordinary "groceries" are made from cotton, Lycra, microfiber and synthetic leather, finished off with original materials from the meat processing industry.

[Translate to Englisch:] Inhaberin Silvia Wald beim Nähen eines flauschigen Kissens
[Translate to Englisch:] Kissen in Form einer Schinkenkeule

A textile butchers' shop with fluffy items on display

Back in the early days, Silvia Wald, dressed in an apron and cap, would become part of the display herself, selling her products at a leading trade show for the meat industry with her very own take on a meat counter. On display? Her range of cuddly products. At the fair, her "colleagues" weren't quite sure what to make of these unusual meat products (that were actually meat-free). Today, Silvia Wald explains the vision behind her label as follows:

"I want to make each individual responsible for the decision about what they eat. Nowadays, we are all aware that we should be eating less meat. Both vegetarians and meat lovers can purchase products from Aufschnitt without feeling guilty."

The textile butchers' shop can now be found in the shop next to the large studio in the Friedrichshain district and appeals to the (Berlin) mindset in its own unique way. And as chance would have it – or could it even be fate? – the shop used to be a butchers!

[Translate to Englisch:] Kissen in Form eines Laugenstange
[Translate to Englisch:] Handgenähter Schlüsselanhänger in Form einer Wurst

Leaving behind a good dose of fun

Scrolling through the range of cuddly products in the online shop does feel rather odd. A mixture of awe and pure joy bubbles up when you see these textile creations.
And what are you left with? A good dose of fun and a few more options for an unusual gift or creative accessory for your home.

(Even) more good news for all vegetarians: The range now also includes meat-free alternatives that are normally found in bakeries, vegetable departments and markets.
These include pretzel-shaped rattles, pineapple cushions or a ravioli stuffed with a spinach blanket. Guaranteed to be gluten-free, right?

Image rights
Image 1: Aviad Tal
Image 2: Superultraextra
Image 3: Christian Jungeblodt
Image 4 und 5: Aviad Tal
Image 6 und 7: Aufschnitt Berlin

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