Oromocto business owner thrilled to see Shania Twain sporting her sweater on socials

Saturday was an ordinary day for Kristen Lyons until she was tagged in a video on Instagram.

The owner of the Oromocto-based clothing companies Simply Rose Boutique and Maritimer Clothing Co. originally thought the tag was just spam. But when she clicked on the notification, she saw country music star Shania Twain wearing a sweater from her business.

"I'm like freaking out and jumping and screaming in my house," Lyons recalled from the moment she saw the video. "My kids are looking at me like I'm crazy and my daughter's like 'Who's Shania and why is she wearing your sweater?'"

The video, posted to Twain's official TikTok and Instagram accounts, features her showing off a new wig for her Queen of Me tour and wearing a baby pink crewneck sweater that says "Maritimer Clothing Co." with one of Lyons's original designs.

Lyons said she has always been a fan of Twain and remembers dancing around in her living room at four years old to Honey, I'm Home. 

Lyons even had the opportunity to go to the Canadian singer-songwriter's concert in June at Moncton's Avenir Centre. 

After scoring tickets to the concert, Lyons got in contact with the show manager and asked about bringing one of her most popular sweaters along. She said she was told that if Twain liked the sweater, they would pass it on. 

While she didn't know if Twain ever received the sweater, she said it was always the dream to see her wearing it one day.

"I was like, 'Could you imagine if Shania Twain wore my sweater on socials?'" she said. "My friends would tease me about it. But I'd be like, 'I don't think that's gonna happen.'"

Lyons started Simply Rose Boutique in 2020 and Maritimer Clothing Co. the following year. It's an online boutique with an in-person location in the AREA 506 container village in Saint John.

She said her website used to have a couple hundred visitors per day but since Twain's video went live, she said that number is now in the thousands.

Lyons said sales have definitely increased with some buyers even in the United States. She said while some of the increased sales are for the sweater Twain was wearing, some people saw the video and purchased other items.

Since the video, Lyons said she's received positive feedback and support from her customers, family and friends.

"I went for an oil change this morning and they were congratulating me there. And I don't think I've ever met any of them," she said.

She said the whole experience feels surreal.

"Unbelievable, I guess. I don't even know how to explain the feeling," she said. "I'm just really grateful."