The Altman Building in Chelsea, on Thursday, November 20, played host to a spectacle few could have predicted. It was a full fashion collection created from the wool of gay sheep. Yes, you read that right gay sheep.
Grindr, the LGBTQ dating app, unveiled the show, titled ‘I Wool Survive,' created in partnership with designer Michael Schmidt and Rainbow Wool, the German nonprofit dedicated to rescuing gay sheep.
The idea came from the reality that 1 in 12 rams (an intact male sheep) is in fact gay, a detail that set the stage for a fashion moment unlike any other.
From Farm Tragedy To Fashion Statement
Designer Michael Schmidt learned through Rainbow Wool that rams who refuse to mate with females are routinely killed. He told The New York Times, “The sheep are killed for being gay.”
Rather than letting their coats go to waste, Schmidt teamed up with Grindr to craft ‘I Wool Survive,' turning their wool into a line of outfits rooted in classic queer fantasies.
With looks ranging from workmen and sailors to UPS-style characters and athletes, everything from tools to trainers appeared as knitted creations.
Known for dressing icons such as Lady Gaga and Beyonce, Schmidt presented 36 looks made entirely from the wool of gay rams, each stitched with deliberately playful intent, reported Paper Magazine.
Characters From Queer Imagination
Styled by Alec Malin, with Charlie Le Mindu handling hair and Frankie Boyd doing glam, the show rolled out a cast drawn straight from the gay cultural archive, which included leathermen, firefighters, jocks and more.
Schmidt left no trope untouched, showcasing pieces as varied as a knitted hospital gown and a farmer's overalls. As he told Paper Magazine, “Hopefully, by illustrating that homosexuality exists throughout the animal kingdom, we can help put to bed the false and damaging notion that being gay is a choice.”
Mission Behind The Wool
Rainbow Wool is a German nonprofit that rescues gay sheep. According to Rainbow Wool founder Michael Stucke, gay rams are often rejected or slaughtered in agricultural systems because they do not mate with females.
Rainbow Wool saves these animals, spins their wool into yarn, and, through its collaboration with Grindr, transforms that yarn into clothing that doubles as queer symbolism.
According to The Washington Post, around one in every 12 male sheep may not mate with ewes, showing instead a preference for other rams. These male-oriented, or “gay,” animals need the same care and attention as any other sheep. But because they do not contribute to breeding, some farmers view them as financially burdensome, leading to many being culled.
Inside the show. Photo: Instagram
Stucke refused to let that dictate their fate. Since 1995, he has run a farm spread across just over 100 acres, home to more than 500 sheep raised for wool and meat.
As he told The Washington Post, “Every animal should be kept in dignity, should live in dignity and will also die in dignity.”
Today, 35 rescued gay rams live under the Rainbow Wool banner, complete with playful names such as Marvin Gay and Jean Woll Gaultier.
Ultimately, Stucke's rescue work has found an ally in designer Schmidt, whose collaboration with Rainbow Wool has brought the story of these rams onto an international stage.
By showcasing their wool in such a public and celebratory way, Schmidt hopes the project will do more than turn heads on a New York runway, according to the NYT. His aim is that farmers elsewhere will look to Stucke's compassionate model and rethink the instinct to cull, giving their own flocks the chance to live rather than be sent to the slaughterhouse.
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