(c) 2008 The Cadillac Fairview Corporation Ltd.2008 ARC Awards Finalists\n\nBlackline Studios&UmbraCadillac Fairview is pleased to announce the 2008 ARC (Achievement in Retail Concept) Award finalists. From a field of 27 entries, four finalists were chosen, and they share one thing in common: they\'ve turned traditional retail on its head and encourage Canadian consumers to take a walk on the retail wild side.\n\n\n\nBlackline Studios \n\nIt used to be if you had a tattoo you were automatically classified as either a sailor, prisoner, biker or a woman of \"ill repute\". Thankfully that stereotype has been blown apart by TV shows like Miami and L.A. Ink and by the popularity of skin hugging T-shirts featuring tattoo art from Ed Harvey \"the godfather of modern tattoo\". Convention has been overthrown, and today people from every walk of life now proudly sport beautiful body art permanently embedded in their dermis.\n\nIon Nicolae opened Blackline Studios in June 2006, because he felt there was agap in the traditional tattoo parlour industry. Even though tattoos have moved to the mainstream, most parlours still reek of their taboo past, and Ion wanted to change that perception. His unique vision was to create a high end \'Body Art boutique\': a sleek tattoo and body piercing haven, that carries complementary lines of chic and fashion forward clothing, accessories and jewellery. \n\nBlackline, located in Toronto\'s trendy King West Village takes the tattoo parlour experience upscale in a lounge like environment that also functions as an art gallery and event space. The store targets hip urbanites who want posh tattoos (both permanent and temporary) and piercings and who want them done to exacting standards in a clean and comfortable environment. And for those tired of a tattoo, Ion also offers laser tattoo removal.\n\nThe store features an open concept retail sales floor with tattoo artists\' art on the wall and fashion apparel on floor fixtures. The treatment rooms feature bright natural light and stainless steel counters which meet hospital standards and are continuously regulated. This is definitely not your deadbeat dads tattoo parlour.\n\n\n\nUmbra\n\nFounded by childhood friends Les Mandelbaum and Paul Rowan in 1979, Umbra is a world leader in casual, contemporary and affordable products for the home. Many gurus of design have worked their magic at Umbra, including industrial designer and self styled \"poet of plastic\", Karim Rashid who designed the iconic and award winning Umbra Garbino Garbage can which now has a permanent home in NYC\'s Museum of Modern Art. \n\nAlways one step ahead, the Umbra principals recently made a bold decision to supplement their third party retail partners with a concept store that is all Umbra, all the time. Why? Because many retailers carrying Umbra products can only display a limited number of products. This means that design savvy customers see only a small portion of the total Umbra line and never get the full-on Umbra experience. Well that\'s a thing of the past, because Umbra recently came out of the shade. \n\nThe 7,000 square foot two-level Umbra flagship store in downtown Toronto is an award winning structure. Umbra, in collaboration with Kohn Shnier Architects and interior design firm Figure 3, created a retail environment that showcases Umbra\'s full line of home accessories, and inspires the designer within us all. A hot-pink translucent exterior cladding is perfectly complemented by an interior that is sleek, minimalistic and white. The building was designed from start to finish in just five months.\n\nExperiential is the best way to describe the store. It includes a functioning design space where customers can see designersat work and an open concept lounge area that features a multi-media wall. The interior of the store is a perfect environment to showcase moderately priced home products that appeal to a youthful audience for whom style is a requirement.Cadillac Fairview is one of North America\'s largest investors, owners and managers of commercial real estate. For more than 50 years, Cadillac Fairview has been leading the way in commercial real estate with innovative design, development and management. \n\nGo to http://www.cadillacfairview.comfor more information.\n\nProduced by Media Masters Video Productions\n|\n|\n| advertising, Agent, ARC, Awards, Blackline, Cadillac, commercials, entertainment, Fairview, film, Gumdrops, Harry, ICSC, Masters, Media, news, Provocateur, Retail, Rosen, short, Studios, tv, Umbra