ASICS and Japanese brand Karimoku create a new standard for circular design in footwear and furniture

Meta has engaged Shanghai-based company Fourier to create 'Max,' a five-foot tall humanoid robot that was developed in approximately three months. Work on the second version of this device has already begun. This agreement draws attention to the startup, which has transformed from a developer of rehabilitation robotic systems into creators of humanoids. According to Omdia, in 2025, the company ranked sixth in global humanoid robot shipments and attracted investments from funds such as SoftBank Vision Fund 2, Prosperity7 Ventures, supported by Aramco, and IDG Capital.

At the end of August, Meta demonstrated Max to employees at an internal robotics summit. This humanoid weighs 48 kilograms and stands 1.5 meters tall. It was jointly created with Fourier from Shanghai and operates on Nvidia Jetson Thor, capable of displaying facial expressions and manipulating objects using five-fingered hands.

The development of Max took about three months, during which Meta's Vice President of Robotics Products, Li-Chen Miller, spent nearly two months at Fourier's factory in Shanghai. Work on the Max 2 model started in September. It should be noted that Meta's efforts in collaboration with Fourier are aimed at research and experimentation and are not yet intended for commercial sale. Fourier later informed The Paper that further information would be disclosed through official channels.

This collaboration may indicate that Fourier provided not just a finished robot, but also an established hardware platform, engineers capable of rapid adaptation, and access to a developed robotics supply chain.

Fourier was founded by Gu Ze in Shanghai in 2015 and initially specialized in rehabilitation robots, including exoskeletons and hospital training systems. This experience gave the company years of expertise in motion control, force feedback, and human-machine interaction. The company gradually transitioned to developing humanoids, starting this project in 2019, and reached a significant milestone in 2022 when an early prototype could stand and walk unassisted.

In 2023, Fourier introduced the full-sized GR-1 model, followed by GR-2 in 2024. In 2025, the company released the open N1 and GR-3—a 'Care-bot' with 55 degrees of freedom designed for interaction via vision, sound, and touch. Such extensive background allows Fourier to focus not only on industrial and logistics tasks but also on fields like rehabilitation, care, and public services, where robots must understand gestures, speech, and physical contact.

Fourier's capabilities perfectly matched Meta's requirements for the Max robot. According to The Information, Meta wanted the robot to recognize voices from five meters away, interpret gestures from three meters away, maintain eye contact, and signal its status, such as attentiveness or uncertainty. Fourier's experience in multimodal human-robot interaction, gained in the field of rehabilitation, provided a suitable starting point.

The company's broader ecosystem also played a role. In 2024, Nvidia included Fourier in the list of humanoid developers working on the GR00T project, after which researchers demonstrated manipulation of household items on the GR-1 model. Speed and supply chains may also have been important. Meta noted that the industry faces difficulties finding certain components within the US, whereas Fourier managed to create a customized prototype in about three months within China's mature robotics ecosystem.

Investors noticed Fourier's potential even before Meta. IDG Capital supported the company in its early stages, and SoftBank Vision Fund 2 led a Series D round of 400 million yuan in 2022, joined by Prosperity7 Ventures, supported by Aramco, and Vision Plus Capital. Prosperity7 stated that this deal represented a record funding size in this area for Fourier at that time. In January 2025, Fourier's Series E funding approached 800 million yuan, intended for advancing humanoid robots and expanding commercial applications. Later that same year, Runyang Technology invested 300 million yuan in the E3 round at a pre-money valuation of 8 billion yuan. Fourier also began demonstrating scale: Omdia estimated that 300 humanoid robots were shipped in 2025, securing it sixth place globally.

The Meta project is a significant confirmation of the company's capabilities. Whether Fourier can translate its engineering advantage into sustainable commercial scale remains to be seen.

For Generation Z, wearing traditional clothing does not just mean following old styles; young people prefer to wear ethnic outfits in their own style. For example, they combine saris with sneakers or jackets with jeans, creating new looks from traditional items.

Let's look at five such outfits that Generation Z is giving a modern accent to.

The ways of styling saris are changing. Instead of heels, Generation Z prefers to wear saris with sneakers. This look is often complemented by a belt, a crop top, or a short jacket. This option is suitable for attending weddings, student festivals, or meeting friends.

It is not necessary to wear a jacket with a salwar or churidar. Young people combine it with straight or wide jeans. Adding earrings, pumps, or sneakers allows for a harmonious combination of Indian and Western styles.

Instead of a traditional bra, a stylish choice for a lehenga is a crop top. You can wear a designer top or a contrasting colored crop top over a simple lehenga. This gives the old outfit a fresh look and simplifies its styling for different occasions.

To make a simple salwar-suit more modern, it can be complemented with a denim jacket. Wearing sneakers and a tote bag makes the look more casual and fashionable. This style is perfect for studying or walking with friends.

Instead of pumps or heels with a lehenga, you can try boots. Ankle boots look particularly good with a flared lehenga. If you want to bring something new into traditional clothing, this combination can be a good option.

The fashion philosophy of Generation Z is clear: there is no need to wear traditional clothing exclusively in a traditional way. It can be made modern and stylish by making small changes according to personal comfort and preferences.

Many women face difficulties in determining the correct bra size, even when they know how to measure other clothing items. Common problems include uncomfortable back bands or cups that are too small, or vice versa, leading many to accept inadequate adjustments because they consider finding the perfect fit a complex task.

This difficulty lies partly in the diverse proportions of the female body, which are not always adequately represented by the conventional size combinations available on the market. This reality is what Recco addresses in its new campaign promoting the Infinity Bra, encouraging consumers to better understand their measurements and explore new possibilities for lingerie fitting.

What defines the ideal bra size?

When selecting a piece, it is common to use established sizes, such as 40, 42, or 44. Although these serve as important guides for purchasing, they do not always cover all variations between breast volume and chest circumference. It is possible that two women share the same back measurement but require completely different cups; similarly, individuals with similar bust volumes may have different chest circumferences. Therefore, analyzing these characteristics separately increases the chances of finding a suitable piece.

The band that encircles the chest and the volume of the cups fulfill distinct roles in bra fitting. The band is crucial for providing support, while the cups must accommodate the breasts correctly. The balance between these elements ensures that the garment stays in place and moves with the body comfortably. A bra that rides up in the back or leaves gaps in the cups may signal the need to review the size combination, and in this scenario, trying just one size larger or smaller does not always solve the problem.

To meet the diversity of body proportions, Recco has developed the Infinity Bra, which is available in 52 size combinations. This vast variety allows the customer to choose the back size and cup volume independently, offering more options to find a piece that suits individual characteristics. Furthermore, if no option is perfect, the brand offers custom-made bras, respecting each woman's unique proportions.

The Infinity size range allows exceeding the usual sizing. This flexibility is particularly beneficial for women who frequently have issues with bra fit. For example, someone who needs a smaller back band can combine it with a larger cup volume without needing to increase the overall size of the piece. The proposal also takes into account the changes the body undergoes throughout life, reinforcing the importance of periodically reassessing measurements, since a bra that once fit well may lose comfort.

How to find your bra size?

To assist in this selection process, Recco has created a size calculator designed to guide the identification of the most suitable combination for the Infinity. The procedure begins with two simple measurements that can be taken at home using a measuring tape.

With Recco's size calculator, it is possible to check measurements before purchasing and explore the Infinity options with greater security, including when buying lingerie online. First, you must measure the chest circumference, positioning the tape measure just below the breasts, keeping it aligned and snug against the body, without squeezing. Next, the tape should be passed over the area of greatest bust volume, without compressing the breasts.

Based on this information, the calculator provides a size reference within the available options. When trying on the bra, it is essential to observe its behavior on the body: the band must be firm and comfortable, and the cups must accommodate the breasts without causing excessive compression or leaving unnecessary gaps. Consumers are encouraged to learn about the Infinity Bra and Recco's solutions to find a piece that harmonizes with their measurements and proportions comfortably.