In an industry increasingly defined by algorithmic optimization and sterile digital polish, Catherine Garner—known professionally as Slayyyter—offers a deliberate friction. Emerging from the St. Louis suburbs via SoundCloud, the pop artist has built a career on punchy lyricism and a sonic texture that is as brutal as it is infectious. Her music, exemplified by tracks like "Wor$t Girl in America," provides a visceral soundtrack for the club while maintaining a raw, unrefined edge.
During her recent appearance at Coachella, Garner leaned into an aesthetic she describes as "Hillbilly Realness," performing in muddy boots and a DIY ensemble she crafted herself. This "backwoods ballerina" look serves as a visual manifesto for her career: a calculated blend of high glamour and low-culture grit. It is a rejection of the "clean girl" aesthetic in favor of something more guttural and authentic to her Midwestern roots.
Garner’s interest in the power of costume began in childhood with a pair of ruby red *Wizard of Oz* slippers—a gift she still keeps today. That early spark has evolved into a style that fluctuates between boyishness and high-femme drama, mirroring a musical output that refuses to be sanded down for mass consumption. By embracing the "unoptimized," Slayyyter finds a way to speak directly to a generation weary of curated perfection.
With reporting from i-D.
Source · i-D
