Viral moment between Miami fashion designer and homeless man changes their lives

It started with a hoodie, a pair of jeans and a question on a South Florida street and would change two lives forever.

A local fashion designer says he stopped a man he met on the sidewalk and asked a simple question: would he model for his clothing brand? That moment, which was captured on camera, quickly exploded online and racked up millions of views.

However, the viral fame was only the beginning. Now, the man at the center of the story, Anthony Cruse, has received a life-changing surprise — $8,282 raised by more than 500 strangers online, all sparked by that original photo shoot.

Alex Carabes said he saw something in Cruse that others might have overlooked.

“I really believe in him,” Carabes said. “Don’t ever judge someone because of what they look like or because of their situation. You never know what someone’s going through.”

Cruse, who said he has been living on the streets and working to regain custody of his children, admitted he was hesitant when approached for the shoot.

“I don’t know if I should do it because I don’t think I’m worthy enough,” he said.

Still, he went forward with the photos and the images quickly took off across social media, generating what Carabes says amounted to tens of millions of interactions across platforms.

That attention led Carabes to launch an online fundraising campaign in which hundreds of people contributed.

For Cruse, the money represents more than viral attention — it represents a reset.

“It’ll help me get a place, get off the streets,” he said. “And get my kids straight.”

Cruse hopes to pursue modeling.

Carabes, who launched his brand only eight months ago, says the experience has reshaped his outlook and inspired him to use his platform to help others.

This report was produced by Miami Herald news partner CBS News Miami.