Fashion from the wool of gay sheep

DESIGNER’ Michael Schmidt, renowned for crafting metallic gowns for superstars like Cher and Doja Cat, has unveiled his latest, most unexpected collection: an entire line woven exclusively from the wool of gay sheep.

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The project, a collaboration between the global dating app Grindr and a German sheep rescue farm, is an extraordinary fusion of high fashion and animal rights advocacy.

The story begins with the provenance of the fibre. While the fashion world usually obsesses over rarity — say, cashmere from exotic antelopes — the source material for this collection comes with a potent social message.

As many as one in 12 male sheep are non-procreative and display a definite interest in other rams. These non-procreative, male-oriented rams require the same care as their breeding peers, but because they produce no offspring, are often deemed an “economic drag” by some farmers and subsequently slaughtered.

This practice was something German farmer Michael Stiicke simply “couldn't abide by.” Since 1995, Stiicke, 52, has operated a 100-acre sheep farm in Léhne, Westphalia, built on a commitment to dignity for all animals.

“Every animal should be kept in dignity, should live in dignity and will also die in dignity,” Stiicke stated.