By Cherisse Moe, HER Magazine
The excitement is building for Photo-Synthesis Designs, and you can feel it all the way to New York Fashion Week (NYFW) next month. It’s not Martrecia Alleyne’s first time on the prestigious runway. She debuted her designs back in September 2022, but this time around, her journey has been a labour of love, representing not just a personal milestone but a significant moment for Caribbean design on the international stage. Fuelled by this passion, Alleyne is gearing up to showcase her latest work at NYFW, one of the world’s four major fashion weeks, running September 11-16 for the Spring/Summer 2026 collections.
“I am really excited,” she shares. “It takes a tremendous amount of work to create a new collection. I want to do the NYFW runway justice and make the most of this amazing opportunity to display my best pieces.” Alleyne will be showing approximately eight pieces including the Shirley Heights Pink Sunset Swimsuit and Caftan inspired by Antigua, a pair of flowy pants and a matching crop top inspired by Jamaica “and a few new pieces that are in progress” which will highlight Trinidad and Tobago. Think Indian wear with vivid colours and embroidery. “I want to make it very spectacular with lots of volume.” Her participation is made possible by a UNESCO Creative Caribbean grant, funded through a partnership with UNESCO Caribbean, the ACPUE Culture Programme, and the European Union.What makes Alleyne’s Photo-Synthesis Designs truly distinctive is her innovative approach to product development.
A passionate landscape photographer, she works with her team of seamstresses to transform her vivid Caribbean images into runway-ready fashion. “I have always believed in working through your passions; this idea to merge my love for photography with my love for fashion took root with the idea of creating a gown that featured my favourite romantic photo of Buccoo Fishing Village in Tobago at dusk,” she tells Her Magazine.
This fusion of photography and fashion begins with Alleyne immersing herself in travel across the Caribbean, from Barbados to Guyana, capturing each island’s essence. It’s key to achieving the overall look of her designs. “There’s a strong focus on ensuring the pieces are unique and creative and have a very clear perceived value for a well-defined consumer, recognising the high value people place on where they come from and the idea of being able to share their pride and the beauty of their country with others.”
Last week, Alleyne hosted her very first art exhibition. Her creative process is meticulous, spanning months from image selection to fabric printing and garment construction — and of course, last-minute design tweaks. Most of her designs feature wooden beads, a nod to her very first design venture, crafting bracelets for her mum and aunts when she was just six-years-old.
“It can be overwhelming to determine exactly where to start,” she admits, “but with more experience it has become easier to know which images will work well for pants versus a skirt or a caftan versus a swimsuit and which prints are worthy of multiple pieces versus a print that may be more specific.”
This meticulous process reflects Alleyne’s lifelong passion for fashion, though building a globally recognised brand wasn’t always her obvious path. Her upbringing in a traditional Caribbean household in St Augustine meant that her interest in fashion often clashed with the pressure of pursuing a more conventional academic career path. So she studied sciences until Form Six.
In 2012, she finally decided to follow her heart and enrolled in a summer fashion school programme at the UK’s London College of Fashion and later gained a Master’s in Fashion Merchandising and Retail Management at LIM College in New York.
For someone who has been “fashion-obsessed” from a young age, having now come full circle to launch her own brand feels rewarding.
“I believe in leaning into your talents and natural inclinations to find your purpose and I am happy that I did that with the support of family and friends and my talented team of seamstresses supporting me along the way. My inner child is incredibly proud that I did not let the doubts steer me away from this path,” she enthuses.
With the weeks counting down, Alleyne feels a bit nervous, but ready. For her, this NYFW is a bold statement on the global stage – Caribbean creativity is here and it’s runway-worthy!
