Tattooing goes upscale in swanky downtown shop

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Now that bankers, soccer moms and celebrities are accessorizing their toned bodies with tattoos, it was only a matter of time before the tattoo shop went from seedy back alley room to swanky parlour.

The pampered set who patronize the poshest spas, sweat it out in state-of-the-art gyms and book appointments at haute hair salons are not about to take a number and wait in line with a biker when it comes to getting their tatts.

Hot off the mark to lure these trendy types looking for a cool space to get inked is the recently opened Black Line Studio.

Located on the King St. W. strip around Portland St., home to such hip haunts as the members-only Spoke Club, gastronomic delight Susur and the ultra-chic bars Eight, West and Brant House, it's a worthy address smack in the stomping grounds of the shop's prospective clientele.

"King St. W. is one of the trendiest areas right now — it's more upscale than Queen West but not as expensive," says Black Line Studio's owner Ion Nicolae, who noticed the space's vacancy sign as he was leaving Spoke Club one night last fall.

The 29-year-old Montreal native, who previously owned a few seasonal tattoo and piercing shops in Wasaga Beach for several years, decided to split with his partners and go with an upmarket modern studio concept.

"I wanted an art gallery environment where you can come in to browse," he says. "It's not just about tattoos; I wanted to showcase ... the tattoo industry."

Body art has risen in popularity to become an industry that encompasses jewellery, clothing and artwork for your walls. The shop retails tattoo print tees from famed L.A. artist Ed Hardy; a large collection of sterling silver, 14k gold; and crystal body jewellery and paintings from renowned tattoo artists such as Oakville's Cory Ferguson, who has developed fans world-wide for his signature tribal and dot work.

Designed by the trio of hipsters on the new TV show, The Designer Guys, the stark modern interior — all white walls, bleached wooden floors, frosted glass studios — is filled with natural light from the oversized window overlooking the street. It offers an inviting ambience, the perfect setting for the first-timer. They get a lot of those, says Nicolae.

Each session includes a consultation with one of the resident artists, who discusses the image and who can also create an original piece for the customer.

"We get a sense of who they are, what's important to them, explain certain tattoo placements," he says.

These consultations are especially important for the novice.

"We recently had a girl who wanted freckles tattooed on her face," he said.

He suggested she try doing it with makeup for a few weeks first to gauge how she liked it before proceeding to something permanent.

They try to discourage clients from getting a boyfriend or girlfriend's name tattooed.

"It's almost a jinx, because for sure that relationship will not last," he laughs.

Though that is good news for them, since they also specialize in removals or incorporating out-of-favour tattoos in a new design.