There are certain collaborations that feel inevitable, even if they take years to fully take shape.
My relationship with Pinch Food Design began more than a decade ago, long before this project was ever imagined. I first met one of their founders while exhibiting at Maison & Objet in Paris. At the time, they began ordering pieces for their events, and I was immediately struck by the way they approached food. It wasn’t just about serving. It was about creating an experience. Something theatrical, unexpected, and deeply memorable.
Over the years, that relationship continued to grow. What stood out to me most was their ability to transform presentation into something joyful and immersive. There was always a shared understanding between us. Food, when presented thoughtfully, becomes something more than nourishment. It becomes a moment.
After working together for so long, this collaboration felt like a natural next step.
A Shared Philosophy Around Food and Design
This project didn’t begin with a material or a specific object. It began with a shared way of thinking.
We both value the role that beauty plays in everyday experiences.
For Pinch, that shows up in how they design their events. Each detail is considered, each presentation carefully crafted. For me, it has always been about creating objects that bring a sense of calm, intention, and quiet beauty into daily life.
There was a clear alignment.
After years of working together, it felt like the right moment to move beyond simply supplying pieces and instead create something entirely new. Something that allowed their team to fully explore their vision using forms we developed together.
Designing for Movement, Not Stillness
Much of my work is created for the home. These are spaces where objects can sit, rest, and be experienced slowly over time.
Designing for Pinch introduced a very different kind of energy.
Food service is dynamic. It moves. It evolves throughout the course of an event. Trays are carried, passed, and shared. The pieces needed to function seamlessly within that movement while still maintaining a sculptural presence.
I spent time in New York with their team, observing how they work in the kitchen and how their events unfold. I tasted their food, met their chefs, and saw firsthand the incredible range of shapes, textures, and formats they work with. From delicate spooned bites to perfectly structured cones.
Each of these details mattered.
The pieces had to hold and transport food securely, adapt to different forms, and still feel abundant and visually engaging, even as trays emptied throughout the event.
That balance between function and beauty became the foundation of the entire process.
The Creative Process: From Observation to Form
The development of these pieces was deeply collaborative.
Pinch shared what they described as their “dream scenario.” A collection of serving pieces that would solve real challenges they encounter during events. They even provided a wish list of forms they had always wanted but hadn’t yet been able to find.
From there, I began sketching and sculpting.
We reviewed designs together, refined them, and went through multiple iterations before moving into prototyping. Some ideas translated easily into clay, while others required new approaches. In certain cases, we incorporated 3D modeling to achieve the precision needed for functionality, especially when creating perfectly flat surfaces or recessed forms to stabilize glassware.
It was a process of learning and adapting.
And in many ways, that’s what made it so rewarding. Finding ways to preserve the organic, hand-sculpted language of my work while meeting the very specific demands of a culinary environment.
Where Sculpture Meets Service
What emerged from this collaboration is a collection that exists at the intersection of sculpture and service.
Each piece is designed to support the flow of an event while enhancing the experience of the food itself. The forms are intentional. Not just visually, but functionally. They guide how food is held, how it is presented, and how it is shared.
There is also an element of playfulness.
Even as trays become emptier, the sculptural forms continue to hold visual interest. They keep the experience feeling full, abundant, and alive. The goal was never to compete with the food, but to elevate it. To create a setting where the presentation becomes part of the story being told.
Expanding the Language of the Work
This project pushed my work in new directions.
So much of Tina Frey Designs has grown from responding to real needs, whether in the home or through collaborations like this one. Being presented with specific challenges often leads to forms that would not have emerged otherwise.
With Pinch, there was a stronger emphasis on modularity, stability, and multi-purpose functionality. At the same time, it was important that the pieces still feel like part of the larger collection. Rooted in the same organic, tactile language.
It is always a balance.
But it is also where growth happens.
Looking Ahead to NY Design Week
We will be revealing this collaboration on May 21, 2026 during NY Design Week.
What I hope people feel when they experience these pieces in a live setting is a sense of joy.
There is something special that happens when thoughtful design and beautifully prepared food come together. It creates a kind of energy. One that feels generous, immersive, and memorable.
If these pieces can enhance that feeling, even in a small way, then they have done what they were meant to do.
The Future of Collaboration
This experience has opened up new ways of thinking about collaboration.
Working with a team like Pinch, who bring such a distinct perspective and level of creativity, pushes the work in directions that feel both challenging and exciting. It reinforces the idea that design does not exist in isolation. It evolves through connection, through shared ideas, and through a willingness to explore something new.
I am looking forward to where that leads next.
– Tina
