Slayyyter is having a big year. The Worst Girl in America musician, whose real name is Catherine Garner, scored two nominations at the MTV Video Music Awards 2026—Best Dance for “Dance” and Song of Summer for “Brand New Chanel$”—and hit the aqua carpet at the annual awards show looking like a mythical sea siren with some major roots and long, golden-blonde beach waves.
For the show, which aired for the first time ever not on MTV but its sister network CBS, Slayyyter opted for waist-length, dark blonde waves offset by a few inches of not-quite-blonde, not-quite-brunette roots—a color also known as bronde! Her hair was parted in the middle with the darker color ending just around her cheekbones, transitioning into a warm blonde blend of gold, honey, and wheat tones atop dark under layers. Her roots aren’t quite long enough to call this an ombré color fade, but with a few more inches of regrowth, we’d definitely be there. Her stylist Ricky Fraser used K18 products on the star, including Astrolift Reparative Volume Spray for lift, before creating waves with a a 1.25-inch curling iron and flat iron. To create the piecey, lived-in texture, Fraser reached for the brand’s AirWash Dry Shampoo.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – SEPTEMBER 27: Slayyyter attends the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs) at Peacock Theater on September 27, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)Frazer Harrison/Getty Images
Slayyyter is a huge fan of Y2K and early 2010s culture and music, with sonic and style influences ranging from Britney Spears to Tumblr to Fergie, so seeing her on the VMAs red carpet—the sight of so many iconic pop culture moments—is pretty awesome. Instead of leaning into super hard into aughts or mid-aughts nostalgia, however, she kept it pretty classic with her mermaid waves, middle part, and minimal makeup, not to mention her short, naked nails. Of course, there’s nothing more late-’00s and 2010s than ombré hair, but either way, there’s nothing cooler than blonde hair with some rooty edge. The off-the-shoulder, ruffled dress with an asymmetrical skirt and long train added to the sea siren vibes, a with just the right amount of TRL-era pop girl cool.
Whether or not Slayyyter takes home a moonperson trophy for either category she’s nominated in remains to be seen—the red carpet just started—but we’re “root”ing for her in a big way!
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