Help with some Electronics?

So my boyfriend and I are making matching suits...sorta.

He wants lots of electronics.

and a spear.

With electronics.

His idea is that his spear, horns, claws, eyes, and the spots on his shoulders will all light up.

Simultaneously.

My first question is how.

Originally, his plan was to have them all light up when he grabbed hold of his spear (there would be a button on the bottom of the spear that would turn it's LEDs on) and then some sort of induction plate in the spear / his paws.

I was worried of a few things--spontaneous combustion, and the fact that his paw pads / fur would get in the way.

My idea was to put the button on the spear to light it up (it'll be on the bottom of the spear so when he hits it on something, it'll turn on / off.

Then do the lights in everything else separate...and somehow use microcontrollers on the finger tips to light them up..though I'm not sure how.

The spots on his shoulders are leopard spots, so the centers are white. I assumed the LEDs would shine decently through.

I had another idea, of using EL wire or something similar.

Assuming money is no object, does anyone have good ideas on how to best accomplish this?