We’re looking forward to introducing you to Matthew Schildkret. Check out our conversation below.
Matthew, it’s always a pleasure to learn from you and your journey. Let’s start with a bit of a warmup: What are you being called to do now, that you may have been afraid of before?
I am called to change my reaction speed and tone when speaking to the world.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Matthew Schildkret, and I’m the founder of Late Sunday Afternoon, a Venice-born lifestyle company built around the idea that clothing and ritual can bring people back to themselves. At its heart, what we create isn’t just fashion it is intentional objects and experiences designed to last. Every scarf, hoodie, or heirloom piece we make is hand-knotted and blessed as a reminder that you are loved, protected, and part of something bigger.
What makes us unique is that we live at the intersection of craft and ceremony. We’re not trying to chase trends we’re building legacy. Our pieces are meant to be lived in, passed down, and tied to memory. The brand was born in a little shop in Venice, but it’s grown into a community practice: weaving together art, purpose, and connection.
Right now, I’m focused on expanding our reach while keeping the soul intact – scaling from a small but passionate business into a global company that still feels intimate. At the same time, I’m raising a young family and exploring what it means to grow in all directions with the same sense of presence and care.
Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. What part of you has served its purpose and must now be released?
The part of me that believed I had to carry everything alone has served its purpose. For years I thought strength meant doing it all myself, that meant being the designer, the operator, the visionary, the caretaker. That survival instinct kept me moving forward, but it also kept me small.
What I’m learning now is that true strength is in allowing others in, trusting the team, and letting community carry some of the weight. The lone wolf version of me has done its job, it got me here, it built the foundation but it no longer serves the man, the father, the leader I’m becoming.
I’m releasing the need to control every thread, and choosing instead to weave alongside others.
What did suffering teach you that success never could?
Suffering showed me the illusion of control. Success can trick us into believing we are the author of every victory, but suffering humbles you into remembering you’re part of something much larger.
It taught me presence. When you’re in pain, the mind wants to escape into the past or the future, but the only way through is right here, right now. In that way, suffering is a teacher of the present moment, while success often pulls us into attachment, clinging to what we think we can hold onto.
Suffering softened me. It opened my heart in ways success never could, because it revealed our shared humanity. In those moments, you see how fragile and beautiful it all is, and how deeply connected we are to one another
Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. What truths are so foundational in your life that you rarely articulate them?
There are truths so woven into who I am that I hardly speak them out loud, because they live like breath, always there, rarely noticed. Integrity, kindness, love, respect, boundaries, these aren’t concepts to me, they’re the ground I walk on.
Integrity is knowing my word has weight, even when no one is watching.
Kindness is remembering that every person I meet is carrying an invisible burden.
Love is not just emotion, but the practice of seeing the divine in each other.
Respect is bowing to the mystery that animates all of us.
And boundaries are the quiet fences that keep love sustainable, without them, everything leaks away.
I rarely articulate these truths because they feel too obvious, but they are the compass. When I lose my way, these are the anchors that call me home.
Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. Are you doing what you were born to do—or what you were told to do?
I’m doing what I was born to do. Nobody told me to tie knots in fabric, bless them, and hand them to strangers. Nobody told me to turn a small shop in Venice into a sanctuary for ritual and connection. That impulse came from somewhere deeper than a business plan.
For a long time, like many of us, I tried to follow the maps others laid out, how to be successful, how to look the part, how to play the game. But the work I do now, the weaving, the blessing, the holding of space isn’t something you get permission for. It’s something that insists on you.
I think that’s what makes Late Sunday Afternoon alive. It wasn’t designed to please a market or fit a mold. It’s me listening to a calling that’s older than me, older than fashion, older than commerce. And every time I tie a knot in a scarf, I remember: this is why I’m here.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://latesundayafternoon.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/latesundayafternoon
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-schildkret-34168116
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LateSundayAfternoon
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/late-sunday-afternoon-venice
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@latesundayafternoon
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@latesundayafternoon
