Society / Profiles

Paige Flink, Longtime CEO of The Family Place, Reflects on the Power of Purple

The Passionate Advocate and Partners Card Creator on Mixing Fashion and Philanthropy

BY // 03.03.21

When I hopped on a call with Paige Flink, the popular, longtime CEO of The Family Place, it was just a few days after a historic winter storm had left the organization’s shelter with extensive damage. Fortunately, help was already on the way, which also came in the form of local businesses like Neiman Marcus and Ylang 23 offering to help raise money.

“I was worried people might be fatigued after the pandemic, but they came through again,” Flink said.

But the actual focus of our scheduled conversation was something far more frivolous by comparison: clothes. In Flink’s 30 years leading the Dallas organization (the CEO and Partners Card creator announced she would be stepping down in January), she has amassed an impressive look book filled from speaking events and luncheons for The Family Place, Texas’ largest provider of domestic violence services. And though the featured celebrity or local backdrop might differ from image to image, one thing never did: she always wore a purple dress.

“To see all of these images together, you would think someone told me purple was the right color for my skin tone,” Flink laughs. But those familiar with the work of The Family Place know that purple, which was designated as the color to represent domestic violence awareness in the late 1980s, has a deeper significance. “It always made me feel like I was representing when I wore a purple dress.”

Reflecting on past fashion choices can be daunting, but Flink’s monochromatic dedication makes it interesting to revisit past events, particularly when they include appearances from Ronan Farrow, Tamron Hall, and Laura Linney. Though Flink admits it wasn’t always easy to find the hue.

“I never had any purple dresses, but I decided to start investing in them when we began or Texas Trailblazers Awards luncheon,” she says. “It got to where I would buy a purple dress whenever I could find one.”

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In the slideshow below, Paige Flink walks us through some of her favorites pieces, from a jewel tone Diane Von Furstenberg to a sensible Kate Spade dress. As for what her plans are post-retirement (she plans to stay on until a new CEO is trained), she’s confident she’ll continue advocating, but only after she’s had a chance to relax for a bit.

“Who knows, maybe I’ll have a closet sale and sell all my purple dresses,” Flink adds.

Visit TheFamilyPlace.org to learn more about the organization, and how you can help the shelter after the Texas storm. 

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