Two Black Designers Present Chevrolet’s New Electric Car

To properly launch the 2024 Blazer EV, Chevrolet’s new electric car, they enlisted fashion designer Aurora James, creator of sustainability-focused brand Brother Vellies and the Fifteen Percent Pledge, and the Jamaican-born Justin Salmon, a senior creative designer for General Motors.

Salmon designed the Blazer EV’s interior. “I was a part of the team that was sketching and designing on the interior side,” Salmon told Rollingout. Apart from Chevrolet, Salmon has also contributed to the design and development of other General Motors brands like Cadillac. “I draw my inspiration from nature. I love that in nature when you see the shapes and forms of something, it almost implies the structure that’s underneath,” he said. The car designer also revealed that he has worked extensively for General Motors and its brands after an internship with the company. “So, I’m thankful for the chance I’ve had to work with her. She offered me my job at the end of my internship, and she saw something that I didn’t even see yet. I’m always going to be grateful for that,” Salmon said referring to Crystal Windham — the first Black, female director at General Motors.

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Named as a Time100 most influential person, Aurora James is an advocate for sustainability and an endorser for Chevrolet Blazer EV. “I live in a household that definitely has its fair share of climate anxieties, so we are constantly looking for ways to reduce our carbon footprint,” James told Ebony. She helms the fashion brand Brother Vellies with the environment in mind. The brand features collections that use vegetable-tanned leathers rather than the harsh chemical dyes commonly used in the industry, features shoe soles made of rubber derived from recycled tires, and myriad other by-product materials collected from farms. “As individual consumers, it feels helpful to play our part and being able to drive an EV that is just as comfortable and fun as any other vehicle I’ve driven in the past is a really great way to continue getting around and enjoy yourself while doing it,” she described Chevrolet’s new electric car.