Founder of Dear Diary Vintage, Talissa Nguyen is an aspiring creative and fashion designer. A student at the University of California, Berkeley, pursuing a B.A. in Media Studies with a concentration in Digital Studies, she is as multifaceted as the pieces she creates. You can often find her sewing in her bedroom, thrifting at your favorite spot, or riding her bike around campus.

Passionate about her craft, Talissa seizes every opportunity to experiment with her artistic and personal style. From interning at Chesler & Associates—a high-end textile agency in New York City— to photographing concerts and fashion photoshoots with Gag Magazine, to designing exclusive Berkeley merchandise reaching over 500 students in sales through Garb, to hosting sewing and upcycling workshops with Depop as a Campus Manager, and founding Dear Diary Vintage—sourcing, creating, and selling sustainable clothing at two Bay Area retail stores— each experience adds to her evolving narrative as a creator.

Quiet, yet bold. Independent, yet collaborative. She is a dreamer and a rebel. Talissa is ambitious, hard-working, and dedicated, blending the bold and unconventional with the thoughtful and reflective.

In her current projects, Talissa draws inspiration from punk rock culture, Al Green, holding hands, SoHo graffiti walls, music videos, conversations over lunch, women’s health rights, D.E.I, and childhood nostalgia. Her goal is to inspire others and spark dialogue around identity, self-expression, sustainability, and innovation through fashion and design.

She is currently studying fashion and design at Parsons The New School of Design in Paris.