On Nov. 13, Los Angeles designer Michael Schmidt unveiled “I Wool Survive,” a 36-piece knitwear collection created using wool from what has been described as the world’s first flock of “gay sheep” in Germany. Traditionally, farms often cull rams that will not mate with ewes. Schmidt said that reality motivated him to spotlight an animal-rights issue while giving the non-mating rams a new purpose.
Scientists estimate that roughly 8% of rams show attraction to other males, a statistic that inspired German farmer Michael Stücke to create Rainbow Wool, a nonprofit dedicated to rescuing these rams and using their wool.
Schmidt partnered with Rainbow Wool and the LGBTQ dating app Grindr to bring the collection to Manhattan’s Altman Building. He emphasized, however, that the event was not meant to be a typical fashion show.
“It’s an animal-rights story,” Schmidt told the New York Times. “And it’s a human-rights story. I don’t really see this as fashion — it’s an art project. It’s meant to sell an idea, not just clothing.”
That idea, he said, is that homosexuality exists naturally in the animal kingdom as well as in humans, countering the belief that being gay is a matter of choice.
Tristan Pineiro, Grindr’s senior vice president for brand marketing and communications, said, “You can’t say the sheep were corrupted by woke culture.”
The collection ranges from traditional polos to male mini-skirts, each designed to “reimagine gay identity.” All pieces will be auctioned off to support LGBTQ+ organizations. “I really wanted to lean into the gay,” Schmidt added.
Pineiro noted that the collaboration also serves as a broader metaphor. “Rainbow Wool’s story mirrors the experience of so many LGBTQ+ people — cast aside for being different, yet able to thrive through community. Together, we’re showing how connection can turn exclusion into celebration.”
Stücke said the project reinforces one central point: “This collection proves that being gay is part of nature itself. The wool from these rams isn’t just material — it’s a message from animals who live freely and are loved.”