A woke fashion event in New York has merged high fashion with animal rights activism through an extraordinary collection made entirely from the fleece of gay sheep.
The "I Wool Survive" show, which debuted on November 13, represents a collaboration between Los Angeles-based designer Michael Schmidt, German non-profit organisation Rainbow Wool and queer dating app Grindr.
The initiative aims to rescue male sheep which show no interest in mating with females from being sent to slaughter.
Mr Schmidt, who has created pieces for Madonna, Cher and Taylor Swift, described the project as both an artistic statement and a campaign for animal welfare.
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"The idea it's selling is that homosexuality is not only part of the human condition, but of the animal world," he told the New York Times.
The collection featured 37 pieces and was demonstrated on an extravagant catwalk earlier in the month.
Some research has suggested as many as eight per cent of rams show preference for same-sex partners, according to studies by Charles Roselli, a professor at Oregon Health & Science University.
A woke fashion event in New York has merged high fashion with animal rights activism through an extraordinary collection made entirely from the fleece of gay sheep
|RAINBOW WOOL
If a ram shows no interest in ewes and prefers other males, their inability to breed makes them economically unviable for many farms, often leading to their slaughter.
Mr Stuecke, 52, established his sheep sanctuary in Germany after coming out at 24, rejecting family expectations to take over their conservative farm.
On his farm of 500 sheep, 35 rescued gay rams live with names like Marvin Gay and Jean Woll Gaultier.
"My heart always beats for the weak," Mr Stuecke said.
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According to one study, up to eight per cent of sheep display homosexual tendencies
|PA
Rainbow Wool began rescuing rams across Germany in 2021, sometimes bidding against slaughterhouses to save them.
"Being gay is natural. It's part of life," explained Nadia Leytes from Rainbow Wool's team.
Queer dating app Grindr are also playing a major role in the movement.
The partnership emerged when Ms Leytes contacted Grindr via LinkedIn in August 2024, initially hoping for sheep sponsorship or an advertising campaign.
Tristan Pineiro, Grindr's senior vice president of marketing, envisioned something bigger, claiming to see the sheep as "a kind of metaphor for all of us".
"You can't say the sheep were corrupted by woke culture," Mr Pineiro said.
While promoting their message, Mr Schmidt also views the work as addressing serious issues, saying: "The mistreatment of animals that exhibit same-sex attraction is a painful reminder of the prejudice that continues to affect LGBT communities worldwide."
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