TikTokers Recognized Her Model Boyfriend from Abercrombie Bags. Her Response Went Viral (Exclusive)

What started as a comment section revelation quickly turned into a viral moment of millennial nostalgia.

Lindsay Maxoutopoulis, a 32-year-old content creator and video producer based in Carpinteria, Calif., first went viral after sharing a TikTok showing old modeling books and posters she discovered while cleaning out a storage unit with her boyfriend, Nicolas “Nick” Brandon.

Brandon, 44, is an executive protection agent and former model who worked extensively in the early 2000s — long before social media made fashion careers easily searchable. While Maxoutopoulis knew he had modeled in the past, she says she had no idea just how recognizable he was until the comments started rolling in.

“Hundreds of millennials were saying they recognized him from their Abercrombie & Fitch bags,” she tells PEOPLE exclusively, recalling the viral video that racked up over 600,000 views. “Some even said they’d had his face taped inside their lockers.”

Maxoutopoulis and Brandon first met several years ago at the California Avocado Festival in Carpinteria, where Maxoutopoulis made the first move. Brandon asked her out the next day, and the pair spent hours talking on a ferris wheel during their first date.

Both had recently come out of relationships, and Maxoutopoulis says the emotional depth they shared early on felt like a “breath of fresh air” after months of dating-app burnout.

“Younger Lindsay would probably have a heart attack if she knew she ended up with an Abercrombie model,” she adds.

After seeing the reaction — including comments from people who owned the bags themselves — Maxoutopoulis decided to lean into the moment.

Inspired by a current TikTok trend and the wave of Y2K nostalgia, she created a tongue-in-cheek, generated image of herself holding one of the iconic Abercrombie bags Brandon once modeled on.

“The image was based on true events,” she says. “But it was intentionally fake — two real photos combined as a playful response to the comments.”

The joke landed harder than she expected. The video quickly went viral, reaching over 2 million views with many viewers assuming the image was authentic.”

“I had no idea so many people would think it was real,” she says.

“So many of us millennials are missing the good ‘ol y2K days,” she adds. “You’d grab your friend, head to the mall, go shopping, grab a Wetzel Pretzel., and a polo from a&f … Life seemed easier 😄 It was an impromptu fun post, and I can’t believe it went viral!”

Now, nearly two decades after Brandon’s modeling career ended, the viral moment has sparked a renewed sense of possibility for Brandon.

“Nick is in his comeback era,” she says. “He’s getting back into shape and going to get back into modeling!  He’s going to be re-creating some of his old photos, and he’s been inspiring fellow millennials on his fitness journey, and bringing back y2k nostalgia.”