CBC.ca | Cinq a Six

Diane von Furstenberg urges designers to monitor garment factories

2013-05-24T23:38:53Z

Diane von Furstenberg is known for giving women freedom with her easy, wearable designs.

She is perhaps most famous for her wrap dress. The design will be celebrating its 40th anniversary next year.

But in the wake of the deadly garment factory collapse in Bangladesh, the grande dame of American fashion says she also feels a sense of responsibilty to the women in other countries who manufacture her clothes.

"I've always felt very responsible and we have a code of conduct in our production department that we make all the factories we work with sign. And we visit the factories," she said while in Montreal for the C2-MTL conference.

Von Furstenberg is president of the Council of Fashion Designers of America. Immediately after the tragedy in Bangladesh, she wrote to members to remind them to check the factories they were using and to make sure they had infomation about all levels of production.

"I also told them that there are consulting firms that do that if they can not afford to go check the factory themselves."

Listen to her interview with Cinq à Six host Jeanette Kelly.

Photo: C2-MTL

First-ever Black Fashion Week in Montreal

2013-05-17T21:23:06Z

Black Fashion Week has already been held in Paris and Prague, and now it's come to Montreal.

The founder of the event, Adama Paris, says Black Fashion Week showcases designers and models who get overlooked in mainstream fashion weeks.

But a couple months ago Haitian designer Ralph Leroy made headlines by attracting Will Smith to his show during Montreal Fashion Week.

So do we need a separate Black Fashion Week?

It turns out to be a tricky question. Listen to Jeanette's interview with Adama Paris.

How a Montreal heiress shaped New York's skyline

2013-05-01T20:22:55Z

The Seagram Building is known as one of the world's great architectural masterpieces.

And it came to be, in part, because of the vision of a young woman from Montreal.

Phyllis Lambert is the founder of the Canadian Centre for Architecture, a philanthropist, and a member of Montreal's storied Bronfman family.

In the 1950's, her father Samuel Bronfman, head of the Seagram company, decided to move the company's headquarters from Montreal to New York City.

Bronfman wanted to a make statement with a new skyscraper on Park Avenue.

He sent some initial drawings to his daughter Phyllis.

What happened next not only set Phyllis Lambert on the path to adopting architecture as a career, it also led to one of the most iconic and innovative buildings of the twentieth century: the Seagram Building, designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe.

Phyllis Lambert has now chronicled that story in her handsome new book Building Seagram (Yale).

Listen to Jeanette Kelly's interview with Phyllis Lambert:

Pictured: Philip Johnson, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, and Phyllis Lambert in front of an image of the model for the Seagram building, New York, 1955.

Photo courtesy Fonds Phyllis Lambert, Canadian Centre for Architecture, Montreal.

Elle Quebec puts model's curves front and centre

2013-04-27T22:01:57Z

This month's Elle Québec has a lot of people talking, and is even making headlines internationally.

The May edition of the French-language magazine focuses on diversity.

Fashion insiders are lauding the concept.

But some in the fashion industry question why Justine Legault, the beautiful plus-size model on the cover was photographed in what seems to be an unflattering angle that would rarely be used for sample-sized models.

An article in the magazine also revealed a lukewarm reception for plus-sized models among designers.

How much progress is being made in the fight to have more diversity of body types in the world of fashion?

Jeanette Kelly speaks to the magazine's brand director, Sandra Abi-Rahed, as well as Marie-Josée Trembe, the president of Specs Model Management.

E-lending and the future of libraries

2013-04-26T19:56:00Z

The last hold-out among the top publishers in the United States, Simon and Schuster, finally agreed to make its "e-books" available to libraries this month. More and more libraries in Quebec are venturing into e-lending, though it's still in the embryonic stages. We ask the question, will a rise in e-lending change the way we use our libraries?
And how do librarians see their role in a brave new digital world?

photo: AP/Richard Drew

How I started writing: Rae Spoon

2013-04-26T16:10:14Z

The Quebec Writing Competition deadline is May 1st, 2013.

The competition is run by the CBC in partnership with the Quebec Writers' Federation, and is open to unpublished short stories.

The winner receives a cash prize of $1500, as well as a broadcast of their story on Cinq à Six, and publication in Maisonneuve Magazine and in an anthology by Vehicule Press.

Today, a final story in our series about how established writers got started. Everyone has to start somewhere, and we want to inspire you.

Today we hear from Rae Spoon.

Rae Spoon is a transgendered musician and author who lives in Montreal.

After fighting for years to be referred to as "he," Rae decided to "retire gender" and has embraced the pronoun "they."

Rae Spoon was part of the first ever Pride panel, called "Writing Queer" at this year's Blue Metropolis literary festival.

Listen to them describe how they started writing:

Saint-Sauveur becoming "Quebec City's Mile End"

2013-04-19T21:26:54Z

Artists and young people are moving to Quebec City's working-class neighbourhood of Saint-Sauveur.

That means new restaurants, cafes, and the desire to have a thriving venue for music and community events.

Jeanette Kelly speaks to Yannick Cimon Mattar, a young entrepreneur about his efforts to save the Union Commercial venue.

Yannick also tells us about his favourite places in the neighbourhood.

Schools shouldn't "blindly" integrate technology

2013-04-15T21:14:23Z

Vivek Venkatesh is an Associate Dean at the Concordia Department of Education.

He also happens to be a huge fan of metal music.

Venkatesh uses online chat forums about metal music to study the way people learn using technology.

As many academic institutions are grappling with how to integrate techology and social media into the classroom, Venkatesh has some surprising findings.

Teachers think discussions and interactive activites create a positive experience in the classroom.

But students say the best predictors of class enjoyment are stimulating lectures, regardless of whether or not technology is used.

"There is a large movement to digitizing," explains Venkatesh, "because it's becomes such an integral part of our life, we would expect that it also becomes part of our education and training domain."

"But I think it's a mistake to subscribe to it in a blind fashion. Often, people want that face-to-face contact, and they want that to be blended with some sort of online discussions."

Listen to Vivek Venkatesh's conversation with Cinq à Six host Jeanette Kelly.

Photo: Tanya Birkbeck

How I started writing: Alice Petersen

2013-04-15T16:12:33Z

The Quebec Writing Competition deadline is May 1st, 2013.

The competition is run by the CBC in partnership with the Quebec Writers' Federation, and is open to unpublished short stories.

The winner receives a cash prize of $1500, as well as a broadcast of their story on Cinq à Six, and publication in Maisonneuve Magazine and in an anthology by Vehicule Press.

To help give you some inspiration, from now until the deadline, each week we will bring you the story "the moment".

The moment when a now-established writer got that initial courage to put the pen to paper or to sit down at the computer, and start to write.

The moment when a person knows, without question, that they are meant to be a storyteller.

This week, Alice Petersen tells her story.

Alice Petersen, a citizen of Canada and New Zealand, has had stories shortlisted for the CBC Literary awards.

Her first collection, All the Voices Cry was recently awarded the Quebec Writers' Federation's Concordia University First Book Prize.

Alice Petersen lives in the woods near Shawinigan, Quebec, with her husband and two daughters.

Listen to her describe how she started writing:

How I started writing: Gillian Sze

2013-04-08T20:47:01Z

The Quebec Writing Competition deadline is May 1st, 2013.

The competition is run by the CBC in partnership with the Quebec Writers' Federation, and is open to unpublished short stories.

The winner receives a cash prize of $1500, as well as a broadcast of their story on Cinq à Six, and publication in Maisonneuve Magazine and in an anthology by Vehicule Press.

To help give you some inspiration, from now until the deadline, each week we will bring you the story "the moment".

The moment when a now-established writer got that initial courage to put the pen to paper or to sit down at the computer, and start to write.

The moment when a person knows, without question, that they are meant to be a storyteller.

This week, we hear from Gillian Sze.

Gillian is the author of Fish Bones, a collection of poetry which was nominated for the QWF McAuslan Book Prize and longlisted for the ReLit Award for Poetry.

She is the winner of the University of Winnipeg's Writer's Circle Prize and the 2011 3Macs carte blanche Prize.

She received an honourable mention in the 2008 Quebec Writing Competition.

Listen to Gillian Sze explain how she started writing:

Editors tell stories from their 'hoods

2013-04-08T18:16:13Z

Hyperlocal is a CBC project that allows you to tell your own story about changes happening in your neighbourhood.

Cinq à Six host Jeanette Kelly spoke to two Hyperlocal editors about changes taking place in their neighbourhoods.

Commissioning Editor Sarah Gilbert describes her mixed feelings towards the gourmet coffee shops and high-end fashion stores that have moved into Montreal's Mile End.

And in the Villeray neighbourhood, Maria Turner bemoans a new condo development. Not only do the buildings lack any inspiration when it comes to design, but they've also displaced Nick Le Roi du Sous Marin, her favourite Italian family restaurant.

Not all fun and games: Board game teaches teens about bullying, suicide

2013-04-08T17:36:36Z

We've talked before on the show about how video games can be powerful teaching tools.

But a Ph. D. candidate at Concordia University thinks there is still a place for board games in teaching as well.

William Robinson has invented a new board game called Gets it Better.

He was inspired by the It Gets Better online videos, which speak to young people about bullying.

Gets it Better is a game that trades in units of "high school happiness'. Bullies find that while treating others badly can seem good in the beginning, if the bullied player commits suicide in the game, the bully will lose happiness and be foreced to wear the "chains of guilt". (Jeanette is trying out the chains in the picture.)

Listen to Jeanette's conversation with William Robinson. They spoke as he was demonstrating his game at a recent conference on technology and education.

Young Canadians "getting short shrift"

2013-04-07T19:35:56Z

Artistic Director Alisa Palmer has been touring the country interviewing hopeful applicants to the prestigious National Theatre School.

She's found hundreds of enthusiastic young people who love to tell stories, but their knowledge of theatre is hit and miss.

Palmer says concerns about future employment and a push to teach technology have resultued in less arts and culture taught in primary and secondary schools.

Which part of the country has the most well-prepared candidates?

You might be surprised.

Listen to her interview with Jeanette:

Photo credit: David Cooper

How I started writing: Dimitri Nasrallah

2013-04-02T17:09:40Z

The Quebec Writing Competition deadline is May 1st, 2013.

The competition is run by the CBC in partnership with the Quebec Writers' Federation, and is open to unpublished short stories.

The winner receives a cash prize of $1500, as well as a broadcast of their story on Cinq à Six, and publication in Maisonneuve Magazine and in an anthology by Vehicule Press.

To help give you some inspiration, from now until the deadline, each week we will bring you the story "the moment".

The moment when a now-established writer got that initial courage to put the pen to paper or to sit down at the computer, and start to write.

The moment when a person knows, without question, that they are meant to be a storyteller.

This week, we hear from Dimitri Nasrallah.

He is the author of two novels, Niko and Blackbodying. He has also contributed essays and non-fiction to the Toronto Star, The Globe & Mail, Montreal Gazette, Montreal Review of Books, and Exclaim!.

Niko won the 2011 QWF Paragraphe Hugh MacLennan Award and was recently longlisted for the 2013 International IMPAC Dublin Award.

Deciding to "officially" become a writer took a lot of guts for Dimitri Nasrallah. As the son of a immigrant family, his parents were expecting something more conventional.

Listen to his story:

Put some spring in your step: Our Easter-weekend playlist

2013-03-28T21:06:49Z

Many youngsters are hunting for candies and easter eggs this weekend. So, we thought Cinq à Six listeners deserve a treat too!!

We're not talking about chocolate bunnies. The treat we have for you is a special edition of the show, packed full of musical discoveries.

For this holiday weekend, we decided to go to some cultural movers and shakers in Quebec, and ask them what songs they are listening to these days.

Michelle Marek, chef at the SAT Food Lab.

Montrealers know Michelle Marek for her delicious, ever-changing menu at Food Lab. But she's also a big music fan. She rubs shoulders with a pretty hip group of former Ottawans who for a time set up shop in Berlin, including Gonzales, Peaches and Mocky. (Mocky was actually born in in Saskatchewan, though, and recently moved from Berlin to Los Angeles.) Michelle's first choice is Make you Rich by Mocky featuring Hilary Gay and Pegasus Warning.

You didn't know you needed saxophone in your life, says Michelle, and then Destroyer came along and made you realize you DO need saxophone. This song is called Kaputt.

]]> Genesis by Grimes

Barry McCullough, Executive Director of Morrin Centre in Quebec City

17 by Youth Lagoon

Purity Ring is a Montreal duo that also made our 2012 Made-in-Quebec Playlist. Now Barry put them on the spring list. This song is called Crawlersout.

Alexander "Skip" Spence was born in Windsor. He played with Jefferson Airplane, and then released a (largely unsuccessful) solo album. But this song is a bit of a cult favourite among music buffs, Barry included.

Author Dimitri Nasrallah

"I'm an avid record collector with a taste for good disco, and Montreal has had a lot of it," says the author of Nico.

At the top of his list: Dancer by Gino Soccio, released in 1979.

A newer song from Dimitri, Taxi Cab is a great tune from Montreal electronic duo DKMD.