It might have even been the orange patterned jacket with the puffy sleeves.

Whatever it was, it made apparel and textile design senior Tony Gianacakos the winner of MSU’s Project Runway.

With 10 designers competing Saturday, the Union morphed into a Fashion Week runway, complete with a thrust stage and banging music. Judged by Nikolaki fashion designer Nick Verreos, best known for being a contestant on season two of “Project Runway,” the array of students brought their best duds to the stage in flights of leopard print, ribbon and even tube socks.

But the designs weren’t carbon copies of Urban Outfitters or Abercrombie & Fitch lines. Instead, the top three winners were unique, innovative and above all, original — making East Lansing look as fashion savvy as a major metropolitan city.

Polar fashion opposites

Gianacakos’ win wasn’t a shock to the audience. His three models were bold and organized, even garnering comparisons by Verreos as “mannequins.”

“I was a little surprised, but I felt very confident with my work,” he said. “I felt that one thing that I really liked about mine, (was that) it was so put together and polished, very showman-like.”

But Gianacakos’ obvious win was offset by Rory Hyde’s second place award.

Hyde was the event’s dark horse — literally. With grim, clandestine designs and his own rock star appearance, the audience was taken aback when he was announced as the second place winner.

But the biggest shock wasn’t that this underdog took second place — it was his year and major: a no-preference freshman.

“I was surprised because I’m not in the program,” he said. “I’ve never taken a class in sewing, so I was like, ‘Wow.’”

Gianacakos’ recent internship with designer Rebecca Taylor, as well as his senior status, set him above the curve. But he’s already moved onto bigger and better things. Today he’s in Chicago to audition for the real version of “Project Runway,” which also is being judged by Verreos.

“I know it’s a really long shot, but I think it’s a great experience just to try,” he said. “I’m not going with any expectations. You’ll never know what could happen. I feel like I could totally be great for TV.”

Although Gianacakos and Hyde’s designs were both honored, their inspirations were completely opposite. Gianacakos said he took the sophisticated path.

“Jackie Onassis, I basically used her as my inspiration,” he said. “I took it after the White House years though, so it wasn’t like fancy stuff she wore in the White House. I made it her resort years.”

For Hyde, it was all about pushing the limits.

“I was just reading (‘Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland’) and I thought it was kind of cool how he played his logic and stuff, so I translated that from classic beauty to modern and edgy into rock,” he said. “You get dressed up for a dinner party, but it’s kind of weird and you’re not mentally right in the head.”

Gianacakos said he had been planning his designs since last summer. But since Hyde didn’t have a sewing machine here, he said he only found time to work on his designs while visiting home on the weekends.

The most notable piece of Hyde’s collection could’ve been a red, white and black vest that he modeled himself. The back featured a woven ribbon pattern that took 10 hours to create. Verreos was specifically fond of this piece, as vests are one of his staple items.

“I made it because I knew Nick was going to be a judge, and they’re one of my specialty things,” he said.

From political science to fashion designer

Known for his various vests and bold accessories (he wore a gray vest and Yves Saint Laurent python skin boots to the event), Verreos found himself literally “drawn” into fashion as a kid.

“Other guys played with G.I. Joes,” Verreos said. “I went to my bed and I sat in my bed with my drawing paper and my pencil and I just sat and (drew).”

But Verreos wasn’t drawing football players or airplanes. He drew collections.

“Somehow I just drew pretty girls with pretty dresses, and I just kept doing it,” he said.

Although his love was fashion, Verreos majored in political science at the University of California, Los Angeles. By majoring in something different, he felt he hid his love for fashion.

“It was sort of in the closet for me. It wasn’t until I was about to graduate from UCLA that I thought I could actually make a living out of it,” Verreos said.

Verreos said he’s the most desired “Project Runway” alumnus to be requested for speaking engagements.

“I love doing stuff that involves fashion,” he said. “A lot of people say ‘Oh my god, we see you everywhere,’ and of course you know, I’m saying like ‘Are you saying I’m a two dollar hooker?’”

Verreos urges students not to think that college is meant to determine your career forever.

“You shouldn’t get stuck on ‘Well this is what I’m going to do,’ because you never know,” he said. “I tell my students, don’t ever feel like that. College is just about growing up.”

And despite winning second place in the competition, Hyde doesn’t plan on going into a career in fashion. Instead, he’d like to focus on landscape architecture or architecture itself.

“I think I’d rather do something, (for a) lack of a better word, meaningful,” Hyde said. “Fashion is art that is only beautiful for a season. I want to create things less transient.”