Cornelia Weinmann
Cornelia Weinmann is a textile designer with a fine arts background. She uses repurposed fabrics to create colourful garments, bags and picture collages as a measure to keep discarded clothing out of landfill. Her home-based studio is located in Kettins near Coupar Angus in east Perthshire.
Getting started
Originally from Germany, Cornelia first started her business over 25 years ago when she lived in Canada and wanted to develop her passion for fabric and colour from a hobby to an income-generating enterprise.
She joined a local network of small and home-based businesses which led to her first showcase with the Chamber of Commerce. In Canada, she also came into contact with the concept of recycling and upcycling of materials on a larger scale.
The enterprise journey
Explaining how she got to where she is today, Cornelia says: “I've always had so much joy from making and creating.
“My innate sense of colour, shape and balance first found expression in painting on glass, in lino prints and paper collages and in weaving – I love exploring new techniques in all the art media I cover.
“All these creative skills were put to one side however, when I embarked on a university teaching career. Later I began to integrate academic experience with creativity and started training as an exhibit designer in my home town Munich.”
A move to Canada saw Cornelia open a home-based studio for functional art where she started painting vintage furniture and dyeing/printing fabrics as a bright focal point for unique interiors - her response to the growing trend to recycle and reuse items creatively.
From Canada, Cornelia moved to Ireland, then Wales, and, in 2014 to Scotland. Her focus shifted from functional art to more decorative work and to printmaking and painting.
She says: “I started with hand-painted and printed textiles, added upcycled furniture, and later took up printmaking and painting. For a few years I worked with ceramic sculpture. Being self-employed it wasn't difficult to implement diverse media and techniques to my art practice and explore different markets and audiences.”
A number of years ago Cornelia rediscovered a love of sewing, and, after taking sewing classes, decided to make textile design a new direction for her creative practice. She now works with repurposed fabrics to create colourful handmade slow fashion garments, contributing to the production of sustainable, ethical fashion and accessories in support of a more circular economy. Production processes as well as the finished products follow the principles of sustainability and circularity, from using green energy and second-hand fabrics to promoting washing garments by hand and shipping products packaged in recycled materials.
Support
Cornelia admits that the freedom she enjoys from being self-employed “comes with a lot of responsibility”.
She says: “Taking care of every possible business aspect and adapting to the restrictions brought by Brexit and Covid-19 is challenging.
“I think it is important for a small business to look for help if you feel stuck or overwhelmed. If you can't delegate tasks, find a mentor or take classes covering what you need solutions for. Join business associations and networking groups, use social media and online resources to get advice.
“I found that business support networks and funding options for creatives are excellent here in Scotland. And I get strong tailor-made support from the enterprise facilitators and learning sessions at GrowBiz, the community-based enterprise support organisation.”
Cornelia first heard about GrowBiz through an article in a local newspaper. She says that when she went to her first networking meeting she was “surprised to find quite a few local creatives among the participants” and that it made her feel at home right from the beginning.
“The pandemic made it necessary to move all enterprise support online. Even though I couldn't any longer attend in-person markets, I kept receiving advice how to extend my online presence as a business.”
Cornelia has joined the innovative Perthshire Artisans group – a marketing and e- commerce portal featuring makers and artists working in Perthshire. Her business, Cornelia Weinmann Design, is also listed in REDS, an online directory of Scotland’s small rural businesses. Both platforms are GrowBiz projects.
Looking to the future
Cornelia sells her unique jackets, tops and accessories at in-person markets and online. She is hoping to join a collective of textile designers, and to see her creations on display in shops with an audience keen to support local businesses and ethically produced sustainable fashion.
See Cornelia’s slow fashion garments and fabric art on her website www.corneliaweinmanndesign.com and on Instagram @corneliaweinmann_design
