Jensen Cipriano Brehm is the cofounder of Ombraz, the original armless sunglasses brand born from a broken pair of shades on a camel safari in India. After tying twine to the busted hinges and realizing the hacked pair worked better than normal sunglasses, Jensen wore the prototype for years before teaming up with college friend Nikolai Paloni to build Ombraz into a practical, durable, and net-benefit eyewear company. Ombraz sunglasses replace sidearms with a built-in cord, making them comfortable, secure, packable, and harder to break. Moreover, every pair is backed by a lifetime warranty and tied to the brand’s mangrove restoration work.
01 Origin. What problem, frustration, or quiet conviction made your company/product(s) necessary? Take us back to the moment the idea wouldn't leave you alone.
I was on a camel safari in India in 2011 when—snap—someone sat on my sunglasses and broke off the sidearms. This had happened to me sooo many times in my life. But I needed sunglasses out in the desert, so I tied a piece of twine to both hinges and wrapped the twine around the back of my head. I couldn't believe how well the Macgyvered pair worked. They didn't slip down my nose; they were secure yet super comfy; and when I didn't need them, I could drop them around my neck or throw them in my pocket without fear of breaking them. I replaced the twine with a leather cord and wore that Macgyvered pair for the next 5 years. There were so many people inquiring about the unique design that it propelled a business idea, leading to the most practical sunglasses in the industry. I teamed up with Nikolai, a good friend from college, who had an adept e-commerce background. Headquartered in a barn loft (complete with a zip-line) on a 3-acre farm in Seattle, the two of us developed components, built out the supply chain, and masterminded the Ombraz brand.
It’s been eight years since we launched our armless concept and hand stitched the first 3,000 pairs of Ombraz in our barn loft. A lot has changed since those faithful, arthritis-inducing times.
02 The constraint that shaped it. Every well-made object is defined as much by what it isn't as what it is. What was the hardest constraint you worked within, and how did it sharpen the final product?
The hardest constraint was overcoming the inherent skepticism about armless sunglasses. People assume they’ll feel weird, look weird, or strap to your face like swim goggles. However, when you wear Ombraz with a correctly adjusted the cord, they disappear on your face. It feels like you’re wearing nothing at all.
We’ve overcome this skepticism by developing strong branding and an acute attention to detail, quality, and how to communicate our unique value propositions effectively and relatably.
03 A design decision you defended. Walk us through one choice that was questioned, debated, or pushed back on, and why you held the line.
One decision we’ve defended from day one is to focus on simplicity and solving a problem. If a new product or iteration doesn’t solve an existing problem or serve a better purpose, there’s no point in building, refining, and optimizing. Design has to be intentional and focused. It’s so easy to get pulled in so many different directions by so many different people with so many different opinions. Stay focused and solve the problem you’ve set out to solve.
04 What you removed. Form and Function lives in what's left after the cuts. What did you take out, leave on the cutting room floor, or refuse to add?
We removed the part of the sunglasses that break.
Sidearms break, bend, create pressure points, interfere with hats and helmets, and make sunglasses annoying to store. When we removed the arms, the hinges went away; the screws went away; and the fragile, tedious parts of sunglasses went away.
Additionally, as an organization, we remove greenwashing. Too many brands claim to be sustainable but don’t follow through on their messaging. It’s nauseating. Since day one, we’ve made it clear that a net-positive environmental impact is the only way we’ll conduct business.
For every pair of Ombraz we sell, we plant 20 mangrove trees in Madagascar. Through our partners at ARC Restoration Projects (certified by 1% for the Planet and Climate Neutral), we sequester 1,714x more carbon than is emitted to produce and deliver a pair of Ombraz
That makes Ombraz the most carbon-negative product ever sold.
Our mangrove tree planting initiatives have regenerated almost 3 million mangrove trees, sequestering over 4.4 million metric tons of CO2. Two percent of our revenue is channeled towards carbon sequestration and habitat restoration, which is twice the industry average for environmental givebacks.
05 What's next, and what stays the same? Where is the brand going from here, and what will never change about how you make things?
Our quality, net-benefit environmental ethos, and quirky brand positioning will all stay the same. That’s my goal—to not lose our soul and to never degrade product quality and integrity. Growth is the next step. We want to increase brand awareness, expand retail, and adorn more faces with armless sunglasses. People still have no idea that we exist.
06 Who's next? Name one or two founders, makers, or studios you think is making products that beautifully marry form and function right now. Someone we should be paying attention to, and why.
I believe that one of the most crucial parts of an entrepreneurial journey is seeking impactful mentorship. Surrounding yourself with mentors who've navigated similar challenges is invaluable. They provide guidance and answer questions so you don't feel like you’re navigating the waters alone. A common mistake among entrepreneurs is trying to handle everything solo, which can be isolating. Good mentorship combined with sharp focus is—in my opinion—the key to success. I’m constantly building my mentor rolodex.
Lightning Round
An object you'd never replace
My peak design toiletries and electronics kits. They make packing for trips such a breeze.
A book, film, or album that shaped how you think about design
Let My People Go Surfing by Yvon Chouinard. Conducting business should cause less ecological damage and be fun.
A daily ritual
Move my body.
The last thing you bought that surprised you
Strawberries in Norway. They were delicious.
A piece of advice you'd give to someone making their first product
Make sure it solves a problem and serves a purpose.
Coffee order
Coffee hurts my tummyyyyyyy and makes me anxious! I go for an oat milk matcha latte or a homemade smoothie.
About FORM & FUNCTION
Form & Function is a print magazine about the objects worth keeping. We write about the tools, gear, and everyday things that earn their place through good design and honest craft — the stuff that works as well as it looks. Each issue is made slowly and on purpose: matte pages, considered writing, no filler. This newsletter is where that same thinking shows up between issues — founder interviews, early looks, and the occasional thing we can't stop thinking about.
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FORM & FUNCTION — Issue 001.
The quarterly print magazine about things worth keeping. Matte, printed, made to be held. Ships August ‘26.