I don't see what the issue is with all the negativity.

The winning design isn't "boring." It's actually quite detailed and if some elements are "borrowed" from HA/Ironworks gear then I don't see a problem with that. I liked a lot of the entries, but the winning one actually fits the game. This is also going to be popular with the player base at large, whereas a lot of the other entries are more "niche" oriented.