With the trendiness of vintage being what it is today, you might expect a new store that stocks, among a great many other things, items from decades’ past to hype up its vintage inventory. So it was interesting to learn that Leah Bershad, owner of Hayes Valley shop Reliquary, opening this Friday, would much prefer to avoid that association.

Good thing the newcomer promises much to get excited about, above and beyond its old school offerings.

“I want it to be a curiosity shop of sorts,” says Bershad, a former designer for Old Navy.

When the shop opens its doors later this week, expect an array of items old and new ranging from designer apparel by upscale independent labels to folk art, handmade Navajo rugs, turquoise jewelry, a collection of WWII-era Zippo lighters and – yes – vintage apparel, though don’t go looking for polyester or anything remotely costume-y. Instead, you’ll find denim by North Carolina label Raleigh and New York’s Court, French knitwear from Majestic, deconstructed apparel by L.A.-based Hazel Brown and basics from American Vintage, as well as Epice handmade scarves, Clare Vivier leather goods, London’s Jas MB handbags and jewelry by Annie Costello Brown and Studio Deseo. Other standouts include hand-embroidered dresses from Afghanistan, a collection of Victorian gold jewelry and textiles from Peru, Japan and India.

The unifying theme? Along with a Southwestern aesthetic running throughout that comes from Bershad’s upbringing in New Mexico, most of what lies within the store is either handmade or handcrafted.

Says Bershad:

“I’m always gravitating toward labor-of-love kind of stuff…patchwork blankets, hook rugs, typical handiwork that’s really finely done.”

See it for yourself during the Reliquary Grand Opening on March 18 at 5 p.m., 537 Octavia St., 431-4000, SF.

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Photography courtesy of Reliquary