Hasselhoff Light Jacket Replica

Hi all,

for some time I have been searching for a light jacket just like the one David Hasselhoff wore at the Berlin Wall.
I have searched the internet for some time, but the origin of the jacket and places to buy jackets like that remain unknown.
Obviously it was tailormade for Hasselhoff. A few months ago I decided to rebuild a jacket like that and I finally came across the Arduino Lilypad, which made me think there might be a feasible solution.

The jacket:
http://FunnyOrDie.com/m/2qn9

I have no problems with the sewing, but I have to wrap my mind around which LEDs to use and which would be the best wiring on the jacket.
I also have the question what the maximum number of LEDs would be possible to use without bursting into flames.

Once I have a rough plan of the necessary steps, I will be able to get some help from my buddy who is an electrical engineer.
But any help on needed equipment would be greatly appreciated so I can at least buy the stuff and sketch the wiring.

I figure, the wiring will be somewhat more complicated if I want to use Multiplexing.

Any help greatly appreciated

AL

that is rare jacket I believe.

If I were you I would prototype some custom printed circuit boards that could be chained together to create a matrix across the jacket.