Alum’s Clothing Line Gets a Boost from Kendrick Lamar
On a spring day in 2025, Antonio Corrales ’21 received the kind of phone message that doesn't happen every day: A caller offered him an opportunity to design clothing for Kendrick Lamar, the world-renowned rapper and winner of 27 Grammy Awards and a Pulitzer Prize.
As the owner of Corrupt Kid, a clothing design studio in Worcester, Mass., Corrales admits he was skeptical. “I get a lot of weird messages, but I thought, ‘Let’s see where this one goes.’”
It went better than Corrales could have imagined. The caller was a fashion talent scout in Lamar’s organization who scoured the Internet for fresh ideas. Corrales designs clothing with an urban vibe that was a good fit for Lamar, who wears blends of streetwear and luxury clothing, often with a nod to his hometown of Compton, Calif.
Sewing from dawn to dusk
Within three days of the phone call, Corrales had inked a deal to create several pieces for Lamar’s national concert tour that was already underway and made the first few pairs of pants. Two weeks later, he had a five-day block of time to complete the collection. He made the deadline but with no guarantee that Lamar would wear the full ensemble.
But after many 14-hour days, Corrales earned an experience that few in the fashion world ever do — watching a superstar step on stage wearing his brand.
Kendrick Lamar performs on stage in Dallas, Texas, wearing pants designed by Antonio Corrales. Photo by Jose Quintanilla.
The Lamar effect
The deal gave Corrales national exposure, a remarkable boost for a solo designer who started his business in his parents’ basement just five years ago.
Once Corrales shared on Instagram the concert images of Lamar wearing his designs, he quickly gained hundreds of followers. “Even old friends from middle school were DM’ing me,” he says. “Whatever I had in inventory was basically wiped out in those few weeks.”
That, in turn, alerted Massachusetts-based media about a promising new designer from Worcester. Reporters from The Boston Globe, The Worcester Telegram and local TV stations produced stories about him.
Success years in the making
While grateful for his moment with fame, Corrales says his success is also the result of his love of fashion and his focus on small, achievable results.
“I believe that if you continue to practice, work and push through all of the hard times, then your successes will come,” Corrales says. “The Kendrick Lamar gig was a result of the hard work I have put into the last five years — and there is still a lot more to do.”
Since the start of Corrupt Kid, he shifted from a made-to-order business model to producing clothing in bulk by contracting with overseas sewing factories that can manage orders of hundreds of items at a time.
He has evolved from a word-of-mouth sales operation to selling via Instagram and then to the creation of an online store that he promotes through social channels. Once a one-man show on Instagram, he now collaborates with freelance marketers to help him promote innovative designs.
Corrales acknowledges that growing his business is not always easy. “I love the creative part, but I need to manage the business side and really focus on the future,” Corrales says. “I’m learning to delegate and I need to hire someone to help with concepting, marketing and styling,” he says.
A young entrepreneur
Long before finding his niche in fashion, Corrales had entrepreneurial instincts. He started his first business, a car-detailing operation, while still in high school. He credits Bentley for providing him with a foundational business and management education.
“My challenge has been in growing a business and leading a team,” he says. “The management classes at Bentley really helped me with public speaking and working on team projects to solve problems. I’m using those skills today.”
During his second year at Bentley, he began taking sewing lessons from his grandmother and discovered a passion for it. “I realized I wanted to make clothes, and I just fell in love with it,” Corrales says.