Peter Buchanan-Smith (MFA 2001 Design) knows about the power of a well-timed cold call; two in recent years altered the trajectory of his life and work. The first came in July 2023, when workwear supplier Duluth Trading Company unexpectedly reached out to the designer with an offer: Did he want to buy back Best Made Company, the outdoor goods and apparel brand he had founded 14 years earlier? 

“It completely stopped me in my tracks,” he recalls. The idea of restarting the company was daunting, given how far Best Made had grown before he stepped away in 2019. But the opportunity to rebuild it at his own pace, from the ground up, was irresistible.

Origin Story

Best Made began in 2009 with a simple and distinctive product: axes with hickory handles painted in bold colors and patterns. The whimsical yet functional tools captivated outdoor enthusiasts and design aficionados alike. The brand embraced an understated design with an iconic “X” logo, pops of scarlet, and a philosophy rooted in optimism and integrity. Its product line expanded swiftly to include blanket-lined coats, wool base layers, canvas totes, and enamelware dishes. Before long, Best Made was a full-fledged modern-day outfitter with stores in New York and Los Angeles, a growing team of investors, and a devoted following.

From the jump, Best Made exuded the vision and lived experience of the founder himself. A lifelong outdoorsman, Buchanan-Smith grew up on a farm in Ontario and spent summers camping in Algonquin Provincial Park, developing a deep appreciation for nature and the well-crafted tools needed to thrive in it.

Buchanan-Smith credits his SVA years for igniting and fostering his entrepreneurial acumen. He was a member of the inaugural class of the MFA Design program, then called Designer as Author, co-founded and chaired by Steven Heller and Lita Talarico (MFA 2007 Art Criticism and Writing). Following graduation, he was recognized for his graphic design work in editorial, art, and fashion, through graphic and product design firm M&Co., as art director for the Op-Ed page at The New York Times and design director of Paper magazine, and, through his own studio, Buchanan-Smith, LLC, as design director for Isaac Mizrahi and designer for musicians including David Byrne, Philip Glass, and Brian Eno. His packaging for the Wilco album A Ghost is Born (2004) won him a Grammy.

“I think about what I learned at SVA all the time,” he says. “As a designer, I feel like I have such an advantage. . . . I build worlds and experiences, and I think that’s something other entrepreneurs have to rely on designers for. I’m lucky I can kind of do that on my own.”  

As Best Made matured, Buchanan-Smith, hoping to bring his company into an innovative, sustainable space, found a compelling partner in Bolt Threads, a tech company producing manmade silk fibers. He sold his brand to them in 2016 and stayed on under a three-year contract. However, their accelerated growth model for the company wasn’t a good fit, and he departed in 2019. A year later, Best Made changed hands again, this time to Duluth Trading Company as a sub-brand, but during the ensuing pandemic years, things faltered. In 2020, the retail stores abruptly shuttered, staff were laid off, the @bestmadeco Instagram feed froze, and inventory dwindled. Longtime fans expressed their dismay in the review section on product pages and on social media.