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By Alice Gibbs
Senior Reporter
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A viral TikTok video of two women's thrift store find has prompted shock and fascination online.
The purse, embroidered with New York City's Twin Towers, was found by shopper Sophia Benoit, who shared it in a video with more than 700,000 views under @snailmonsterr on TikTok.
In the video, Benoit held up a black beaded bag featuring fireworks, the Statue of Liberty, and the Twin Towers—once a defining feature of the Manhattan skyline.
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"Look what I found thrifting. This is a diabolical find. It's from the year 2000, they had no idea what was about to happen," Benoit says. Her friend added, "They really had no idea what was coming."
Benoit went on to call the item "a historical piece," suggesting it belongs in a museum: "Because you can't really use this. At all."
This isn't the first time a 2000s thrift find has gained viral attention. Earlier this year a Gen Z woman shared her delight when she stumbled on a Hollister mini skirt with a surprise in the pocket. While another thrifter shared their ultimate Y2K fashion find from a thrift store.
The Twin Towers as a Design Motif
Before the September 11, 2001 attacks, the Twin Towers were more than just office buildings—they symbolized New York City's power and ambition. Completed in the 1970s, the World Trade Center's two 110-story skyscrapers were considered architectural marvels, and quickly became central to New York's global identity.
From postcards and posters to snow globes and accessories, the towers were a frequent motif in pop culture and consumer design. Including them on a bag in 2000 would have seemed entirely normal as they were among the most recognizable buildings in the world.
The attacks on 9/11, in which nearly 3,000 people lost their lives, forever transformed how the Twin Towers are remembered.
What was once a celebratory image of New York's skyline has become inseparably linked to national tragedy.
That shift explains why Benoit's thrift store discovery left her so shocked, and it is perhaps little surprise as today's 21-year-olds were born in 2003 or later, meaning they will have no understanding of a time before the events of September 11, 2001, or any real memory of the events of the day.
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Internet reacts
On TikTok, people were divided by the reaction to the thrift find. Many remembered when the towers were a big part of pop culture.
Viewer @mustardrug wrote: "Ladies, the Twin Towers were a main focal point of the NYC skyline." While @Tholen21 agreed: "This took me way too long to realize what they were reacting to. Back then it would be perfectly normal."
Others were as surprised as the women in the video. "That's actually an insane find," said @fenrir. While viewer @gatorbrat was in the market for the item: "Omg I would wear it all the time I can't believe you left it behind."
"I have this exact purse also thrifted lol," said another viewer.
Newsweek reached out to @snailmonsterr via TikTok for comment.
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