em10

I'm new to all of this, so apologies if this question is beyond basic, but when you say to speak to "vendors" to hopefully have a look at their sample booklets, do you mean materials vendors? Or factories? And do you need to be actually working with these vendors to see their sample booklets or would I be able to see them as part of some initial research into a potential project?

Looking for an industrial seamstress or sample maker in NYC who could help me to sew a sample of a fairly technical bag. Can anybody recommend someone?

I'm working on developing a product... This type of product already exists in the market place and is offered by a variety of companies, but all of these products for some reason seem to share the same style. My idea is to offer this same product (which will have similar features to my competitors - I'm not screwing w/ the basics), but in a new type of style that is not currently offered and that will set me apart from other brands. Since this is really just a style thing, do i need a patent? (Just to give an example, since I know I'm being vague: take shoes. Imagine that they come in sports shoes, dressy shoes, and in between shoes, but that pretty much every shoe on the market is black leather and styled the same. I'd be thinking about creating a dressy shoe out of different materials, different colors, and with unique decorative accents... Would I need to get a patent for my shoe?)