Test tubes. Microscopes. Lab coats. Labs.

These images filled my mind.

When I first heard the explanation of Aircarbon, I honestly didn't quite grasp it.

Microbes, I was told, consume methane and air, and then create material within their cells.

And ultimately, that material becomes a bead in my hand.

"Perhaps it's because it's made from air. It feels lighter than regular beads."

It's probably not that simple.

But I decided to believe it was.

Gas transformed into a solid.

That's already 4-dimensional.

It all started with one cow.

The research into Aircarbon reportedly began more than 20 years ago, after reading an article about a cow named "Lucy."

Could the methane produced by cows be transformed into something valuable?

They’ve been researching it for over 20 years since then.

Amazing.

I was pretty stressed about a few weeks' delay in delivery.

Twenty years.

And the people at Newlight (Newlight Technologies, Inc.) who are developing it say,

"We've only just begun."

Whoa!

Where on earth are they planning to go?

I'd like them to explain the destination in detail just once.

Creating traditional pearls with futuristic material.

Actually, they weren't trying to make beads from the start.

The first time Mr. Ino contacted Newlight was after he discovered a leather-like material made from Aircarbon and thought, "I want to use this for clothing."

After a while, a sample of that material arrived.

Inside the box, along with the leather sample he had requested, was a small bracelet.

It was a gift from Newlight.

A bracelet with pearl-like beads made from Aircarbon.

When Mr. Ino saw it, he thought,

"Huh? This is also made from air?"

And then he touched it.

It had an indescribable texture, unlike anything he had seen before.

At that point, the conversation about the leather he had wanted to use went out the window.

"I want to make accessories with this that have never been seen before."

It was sudden.

But according to Mr. Ino,

"There are moments when you encounter unexpected materials like this, and your imagination is instantly captivated. That's what makes being a designer truly happy."

And so, the decision was made to turn Aircarbon into beads and create pearl-style accessories.

I love this combination.

Turning a futuristic material born from air and methane into traditional pearl jewelry.

A Californian scientist.

A Japanese artisan.

doublet.

People from completely different places unexpectedly converge in one necklace.

It's like an omnibus novel.

By the way, the beads were milky white.

Seeing them after hearing the story started with a cow,

They started to look a bit like milk.

Humans are simple creatures.

Even futuristic materials have deadlines.

Of course, it's not all sunshine and roses.

Newlight didn't yet have a method to mass-produce the desired size of beads in the quantity we needed.

We had to start over with new molds.

I'm grateful.

Truly grateful.

However, my honest opinion was,

"Even if it's an environmentally friendly, futuristic material, late deliveries are a genuine problem."

That's what I thought.

Even if we live in the future, deadlines are in the present.

Still, Newlight didn't give up midway and produced it until the end.

The Japanese artisans also consulted with us almost daily, trying to make up for any lost time.

Beyond one small accessory, there were more people involved than I had imagined.

Manufacturing cannot be done alone.

It's obvious, but I'm reminded of it anew at times like these.

The "Did it just become… ordinary?" incident.

The final beads came out a little creamier in color than the initial sample.

My first impression was,

"Huh! Has it somehow become ordinary?!"

It also looked a bit different from the samples we showed the buyers.

Is this okay?

I consulted with Mr. Ino.

Indeed, the color had changed.

However, this was the result of Newlight's trial and error in preparation for mass production, figuring out a method that could handle similar orders not just this time, but in the future too.

Mr. Ino said,

"Then let's make this cream color the best it can be right now."

Instead of trying to somehow reproduce the initial sample, we decided to embrace what was created through a method that could be continued in the future.

Instead of saying, "This is the color it turned out to be,"

We think about "how good can we make this color?"

I see.

When I looked at it again with that thought…it was cute.

Moreover, there was a proper reason for the color change: the molds and molding conditions had changed.

Hearing that,

"I thought it was somehow precious."

It wasn't just randomly cream-colored.

Manufacturing isn't just about reverting things that aren't as planned back to how they were planned.

Make it the best it can be right now.

Sometimes, manufacturing involves such a change in direction.

I hope the Doublet Effect happens.

One accessory won't solve global environmental issues.

I know that.

"Because we are a company the size of doublet, we can be the first to dive into new materials,"

Mr. Ino often says.

Using materials like Aircarbon, which are not yet commonplace in the world.

Naturally, when trying to mass-produce, issues like "how do we make this?" arise, as happened this time.

Nevertheless, because we are a company of our size, there are things we can "give a try" to.

And then, presenting it at Paris Fashion Week, a place where the attention of fashion professionals worldwide gathers.

According to Mr. Ino,

"I think it's good enough just to let people know that 'such a material already exists.'"

Someone who sees it might use that material next.

Someone else might use it.

Someday, even a large company might say, "We want to use this."

If more people want to use it, the material producers can take on the next challenge of producing more.

That way, it gradually becomes more visible,

And before you know it, it's no longer called "a material of the future,"

I hope it just becomes an ordinary material.

A small movement creates the next small movement.

Listening to Mr. Ino's stories, I spontaneously call it,

Not the butterfly effect, but

The Doublet Effect.

Instead of "I must choose this" because it's good for the environment,

"I genuinely want this,"

And then you buy something and discover it's made from air or methane.

I think a future like that sounds a bit fun.

Whose air is in these beads?

Looking at the finished accessories, I sometimes think strange thoughts.

Since they are made from air and gas,

Isn't a minuscule amount of the breath exhaled by cherished people and flora and fauna from the past still somewhere in the air of this world?

And what if a part of that is in these beads?

It's entirely my fantasy.

A scientist might correct me.

But thinking that way makes it a little more fun.

The people at Newlight.

Japanese artisans.

doublet.

And the people who wear these accessories.

Everyone becomes a character in the same omnibus story through these small beads.

I hope that happens.

And finally,

"doublet, when you think about it, does a lot of different things with a lot of different people,"

If people can think that,

That's enough.

About Newlight Technologies / Aircarbon

Newlight Technologies, Inc. is a company based in Huntington Beach, California, USA, that researches, develops, and manufactures Aircarbon. With its headquarters and commercial production facilities located in the same place, it centralizes research, engineering, and manufacturing to advance the development of new applications and mass production.

The research into Aircarbon began over 20 years ago. After the founders of Newlight Technologies read an article about the methane emitted by a cow named "Lucy," the question arose: "Could methane be transformed into a valuable material instead of merely being an environmental burden?"

Subsequently, they focused on the work of microorganisms found in the ocean. When methane and air that are about to be released into the atmosphere are given to these microorganisms, they take them in and produce a substance called PHB (polyhydroxybutyrate) within their cells. Aircarbon is created by extracting and refining this substance. This manufacturing method is inspired by the natural carbon cycle that has long occurred in the ocean.

Currently, Aircarbon is being expanded into various fields, including not only fashion but also packaging and durable goods.

An email interview with Mark Herrema, CEO of Newlight Technologies, Inc.,

will be published at a later date.