September 30, 2009
designer joel bartfeld
I'm a sucker for stripes. That's one of the reasons why I'm coveting the towels from Sunny Life. That and the names of the products - I mean, who doesn't want a towel named Sardinia?! Oh, and have you seen the melamine range - with its Palm Springs look. Not bad for a company that's based in Melbourne. Here is the man behind the business, Joel Bartfeld.
Which five words best describe you? Passionate, intuitive, ambitious, genuine & tired.
What was your first job and what path have you taken since then? Upon dropping out of a commerce degree at uni, I went to work in the warehouse for my family business (fabric distribution). Following 18 months of wondering how I would fashion a career path, I fell into a job with a friend’s product development business. Four years with them provided me with my “degree”, which led me to set out on my own. Together with my business partner, we established SunnyLIFE almost 6 years ago.
What’s your proudest achievement? Having built a great team of people who help us make the brand bigger and better.
What’s been your best decision? To create my own business – to satisfy my autonomous nature.
Who inspires you? I’m inspired by creativity, so those who apply their creativity – both commercially and artistically.
What are you passionate about? My work, my family & friends, design & travel.
What’s the best lesson you’ve learnt? Stay true to your vision. Integrity can’t be faked and it can’t be appropriated. We were challenged to take the brand in other directions, but ultimately my vision was to be Australia’s best outdoor lifestyle brand – which I believe we are.
Which person, living or dead, would you most like to meet? Karl Lagerfeld – not only is he a prolific designer he is also an incredibly fascinating person.
What dream do you still want to fulfil? I can’t wait to build a bespoke home. I think I’m going to drive an architect and builder crazy with the level of detail I want to achieve.
What are you reading? I’m always reading a lot of design magazines and The Great Gatsby (I’ve been meaning to read it for years).
images courtesy of sunny life