When Cornelius Quiring was 3 years old, he was in a farm accident that left his body asymmetrical. He learned how to draft patterns and sew clothes to uniquely fit his body. It was a way of embracing who he is. Today, he shares his skills with those looking to do the same and empower themselves.
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We begin this interview with Cornelius talking about his childhood in a Mennonite community in Paraguay. Cornelius shared his experience of a childhood accident on a farm in Paraguay that resulted in asymmetry in his right side due to nerve damage, which left his right arm and hand significantly affected.
Cornelius went to college to become a graphic designer, and he’s applied skills from that field, such as breaking down complex tasks into manageable parts, to his current sewing business. Cornelius also mentioned how his graphic design background helped him develop his personal brand and style in his sewing work.
Next, we talk about Cornelius’ approach to content creation, focusing on technical aspects like framing shots and developing branding guidelines to effectively communicate messages through the visual noise of social media platforms. He explained his content strategy, including using a limited color palette, providing clear one-sentence summaries at the beginning of videos, and creating visually intriguing first shots to capture viewers within the crucial first three seconds. We reference a viral video he made about the curve of sleeves.
We talk about Cornelius’ gradual transition from altering ready-to-wear clothes to create asymmetrical designs that hid his body’s asymmetry to drafting patterns from scratch to better understand clothing construction. Cornelius shared his learning journey in pattern drafting, explaining that he initially sought mystical formulas but eventually realized there is no one right way due to the uniqueness of each person’s body.
Cornelius described how his wardrobe has simplified to a capsule style with primarily black and white pieces, reflecting his move toward a more functional and minimalist approach that aligns with his background in graphic design. He discussed his decision to eliminate back pockets and use a crossbody bag instead.
We also touched on his choice of Thinkific for course hosting and WordPress for his main website, and his business partnerships with LDH scissors and Quality Sewing. He explained his membership site offerings across multiple platforms, including Patreon, YouTube, and Instagram, and shared his current project of making a black coat to replace one lost at h+h americas.
In this episode we mention:
- Thinkific
- LDH
- Closet Core Patterns’ Cornelius Western Shirt
- Dieter Rams, the industrial designer of Braun shavers
And, of course, I asked Cornelius to recommend great stuff he’s loving right now. Cornelius recommends:
- a vintage Singer 99K sewing machine
- this ironing board modified by being covered with this wool mat
- this cordless iron
