These Black Creatives Founded Six Cinquième, One Of Canada’s Most Exciting New Creative Agencies
Interview by Trey Alston / Working Not Working Member
Collaboration is a term that you’ll hear time and time again in creative fields. At advertising agencies, being able to successfully put the pieces together and figure out the best way to connect with teammates makes you a valuable asset, someone that can be a special contributor anywhere.
Miro LaFlaga and Ashley Phillip have taken being collaborative a step further with Six Cinquième, a rare Black-led creative agency that is quickly becoming an imaginative force within the Canadian advertising space. “One of the reasons we decided to join forces and start our own agency was to fill a void in the creative industry, especially in Canada, where there is a huge lack of diversity,” says LaFlaga. “We wanted to be a representation and open the door for more black creatives to take up space behind the scenes and to be in control of our own narratives.”
The Montreal-born creatives met in 2016 after they worked on a project together—LaFlaga on creative direction and Phillips on graphic design—and realized that they worked great as a team. They established the agency as Divvi in 2018 and rebranded as Six Cinquième in 2020. In the process, they have helped a number of established and emerging brands develop distinct visual and brand identities. Their work carries a strong, visually distinct approach that instantly connects back to the brand itself.
In just two years, they’ve become the blueprint for rising, self-established agencies—especially for Black creatives, who make up an absurdly small percentage of the advertising industry. Now, they’re speaking to Working Not Working about it all: being creatives, establishing their highly sought-after agency, and the vision that they have for the future.
Here are LaFlaga and Phillips on all things Six Cinquième.
When did you both realize that being in a creative field was right for you? What went into making the decision to pursue it full-time?
Phillips: It was a no-brainer for me as soon as I finished high school. I was always an artistic person, and nothing else interested me when I was applying for college. So I went out on a whim and chose a graphic design program because it was the most creative thing I could find. Turns out, I was good at it and enjoyed it! After college, instead of going to University, I decided to try out working for agencies and doing some freelance work, and it became clear to me that I don’t like working for others. It wasn’t fulfilling to advance someone else’s dream and I wasn’t passionate about the work I was doing. So it wasn’t so much a decision—I just followed my own natural flow and desires. I never worked an actual full-time job before, outside of this. I naturally just did what I enjoyed, stuck with it, and it ended up working out for me.
LaFlaga: I always had an artistic eye and a taste for arts and media, but I never had the courage to really go after it. I reached a point where I was fed up with my life as a whole, tired of working unfulfilling jobs and tired of school which wasn’t doing much for me. I decided, out of frustration, to just throw myself into it and take that risk. I wasn’t looking for it. It found me at a time where I was at a standstill in my life and I really wanted to make a change.
Photography: Noire Mouliom
How did you two meet? What was the decision like to work together?
LaFlaga: For me, it was love at first sight. Someone contacted me for a creative direction gig and Ash was the graphic designer. I was instantly drawn to her. After our initial meeting, we stayed in contact with each other and I would hit Ash up to join me on projects. We started collaborating a lot over the years and just decided to join our talents and launch our own thing. It was very organic.
“For me, it was love at first sight. Someone contacted me for a creative direction gig and Ash was the graphic designer. I was instantly drawn to her.”
What’s the story behind the agency’s name?
Phillips: Six Cinquième (pronounced “cis sank-yem”) is French for six-fifths. Because the spark of inspiration that is familiar to all creatives is akin to divine intervention, we consider it our 6th sense. As a result, we are of the opinion that creativity is an invaluable resource that demands the utilization of six-fifths of our senses.
What’s your creative process like? What do you think that you each bring to the table that contributes to the creative vision of Six Cinquième?
Phillips: The thing about us is that we each have very complementary strengths and weaknesses. So we know when and where to pull our weight. We know what our boundaries and limitations are, and when to step up or step down. So our creative process is a reflection of that. A lot of open communication, bouncing ideas off of each other and pulling from each other’s strengths. Miro is the social butterfly, relationship builder, and creative visionary with big ideas, while I’m the artist and perfectionist, ensuring excellent execution and great user experience. Together, with Six Cinquième, we are a high-quality and community-driven creative agency.
Photography: Noire Mouliom
Photography: Noire Mouliom
“Miro is the social butterfly, relationship builder, and creative visionary with big ideas, while I’m the artist and perfectionist, ensuring excellent execution and great user experience.”
How do you think that collaboration benefits the vision of Six Cinquième? How do you think that it helps the vision of creatives as a whole?
LaFlaga: Collaboration is at the core of our brand. It’s everything. Through collaboration, we create the opportunity to bring people who look like us onto our projects and elevate each other along the way. It allows for collective growth through the experience gained on collaborative projects. The way we see it, this exchange of knowledge and experience helps creatives get out of their shells—it births inspiration in ourselves and others simultaneously.
How would you define the idea of being a “creative?” Do you view it as a hobby or a career path?
LaFlaga: For me, I kind of hate the term creative but I’m guilty of using it a lot. The reason being, technically everyone is a creative in their own right. In this context, I guess we’re referring to people who are actively practicing and putting themselves out there as an artist or creator. I think being a creative is both a hobby and career path, it just depends on how far you’re trying to take it. If you’re just creating for yourself out of fun, there’s nothing wrong with doing it as a hobby. If you’re a creator who’s trying to build it into something that’s bigger than yourself and turn it into a livelihood, it’s important to look at it as a career. I personally chose to look at it as a career rather than a hobby.
Phillip: I find art and creativity in everything, whether it be cooking a meal, journaling, or building an app. All those things require us to tap into our creativity, so we are all creatives one way or another. I define being a “creative” as being human. I also believe it is both a hobby and a career path, they aren’t mutually exclusive. I think all creativity starts off as a hobby and it’s up to the individual to decide whether or not they want to make it a career.
Photography: Noire Mouliom
“Through collaboration, we create the opportunity to bring people who look like us onto our projects and elevate each other along the way...The way we see it, this exchange of knowledge and experience helps creatives get out of their shells—it births inspiration in ourselves and others simultaneously.”
Is it ever taxing to be a creative? What do you do on days when it’s harder than it usually is?
Phillip: Yes it is. People underestimate how straining it can be. It’s impossible to be creative 24/7. My creativity happens in bursts, sometimes I’m in my zone for hours. Other times my mind is dry for a couple days. I trust the process. I understand that my downtime is actually nurturing my creativity on a subconscious level. So I just accept it and try not to beat myself up about it too much. I know when to take breaks and do nothing. And soon enough I’m back to normal. I don’t put too much pressure on myself.
LaFlaga: Answering the question from the angle of a creative entrepreneur, yes it can be very taxing. For me personally I work hard on identifying and being conscious of the moments and triggers when I begin to feel overwhelmed. On days like that, I like to allow myself to do nothing, just chill. I play video games, smoke some of the best weed, anything that’s going to allow me to feel like a teenage kid. That’s pretty much what I do. It helps me be inspired and bounce back harder.
“For me, creativity is born from a lack of resources. When I’m cooking with limited ingredients, when I’m designing with many constraints… I find inspiration in the most unusual places and the end result is always surprising.”
What’s the vision for your agency in the future? 2021 and beyond?
LaFlaga: A lot of things. We see ourselves moving towards working in the tech space, collaborating with incubators, VCs, innovative startups. We feel like we can help bridge that gap between creativity and technology for our community. Accessibility is something that really intrigues us a lot and we see a lot of talk about it already happening in the tech industry. Beyond that, Six Cinquième will evolve into a media hub where we produce content made by Black people and other POC such as film, TV, video games, and more.
How would you define creativity as it relates to each of your individual experiences?
Phillip: For me, creativity is born from a lack of resources. I find that I’m most creative when I’m struggling to find a solution for something. This happens in all areas of my life. When I’m cooking with limited ingredients, when I’m designing with many constraints… I find inspiration in the most unusual places and the end result is always surprising. I impress myself most with my creativity in those situations.
LaFlaga: For me, creativity is about problem solving more than anything. It’s about solving a problem and finding ways to communicate my passions, frustrations, and experiences through different mediums. Six Cinquième is a creative manifestation of everything I’ve ever been through.
Photography: Noire Mouliom
Photography: Noire Mouliom
Creative direction: Marlond Samedy
Styling: Soph. “Herflysoul”
Assistant stylist: Deejah
Makeup: Lola “Ask4Lola”