Milli Vanilli Stylist Gives Duo’s Stage Designs a Workout

Do clothes make the band? In the case of Milli Vanilli, they certainly haven’t hurt.

The pop group, composed of German-born Rob Pilatus, 24, and French-born Fab Morvan, 23, is known for its highly danceable music (with four No. 1 hits in the last year, starting with “Girl You Know It’s True”) and their own nonstop aerobic workout on stage.

Pilatus and Morvan are also known for their heartthrob good looks--chiseled cheekbones and $750 hairdos, in which elaborate hair extensions are braided with their own long locks.

And certainly not least of all, they’re known for wearing tights and tank tops that show off their well-toned physiques.

Up to this point, Pilatus and Morvan have raided their own closets for the tights, tunics, cropped jackets, military boots, leather jackets and ripped jeans they’ve worn in their videos.

But on their first tour, which stopped at the Universal Amphitheatre in Los Angeles last weekend, they are being costumed by Jim Lutz, a former assistant designer for Bob Mackie.

The pairing of the earthy Milli Vanilli and the Mackie-trained designer, who is used to fitting sheer, sequined, minimal-coverage costumes on Cher, might seem offbeat, and the matchup did occur by chance.

Morvan and Pilatus were in the same aerobics class with Lutz at the Sports Connection. Afterward, in the lobby, the duo met their management representative, Todd Headlee, who was an old friend of Lutz. They were introduced and struck a deal right there.

Lutz, 29, who now makes his own line of women’s separates under the Bankston label, was thrilled to do clothes for the performers.

“They’re easy to work for because they know what they want,” he says. “They try something on and say yes or no. They’re not fussy.”

Lutz expanded on the Milli Vanilli signature look: a strong-shouldered, V-shaped silhouette. He kept the duo in tailored jackets and leggings, but created theme clothes more suitable for the stage.

One set of jackets is inspired by Ninja warriors. Their high-buttoned riding jackets were fashioned after the exotic lines of Jean Paul Gaultier and the 19th-Century frock coat worn by Daniel Day-Lewis on Oscar night.

The backup musicians wear black mandarin jackets and the Milli Vanilli armband, which bears a map of Africa.

As the tour moved into warmer Southern states, Lutz added soft rayon and washable suede in sweat suits, cropped tops and full, floating pants to be tucked into boots. “Rob calls it a sportive look,” Lutz says. The new clothes have been made in Rastafarian-inspired shades of red, green and yellow.

All the clothes must withstand the jumps, acrobatics and splits the duo is know for. “They really move from the second the show starts,” Lutz says. “I knew what to watch out for from working with Bob Mackie.”

Working with Mackie’s performers and stage costumes also gave Lutz experience in quick changes. Milli Vanilli, he says, makes a lot. “They’re on the stage the whole time, so costume changes had to be done in 10 seconds,” explains Lutz, who solved the dilemma with simple zippers and lots of Velcro.