Nacho Figueras: Polo's main man

The air in Singapore is heavy with rain that has yet to fall. In the Singapore Polo Club, right in the middle of the city, international polo player Ignacio “Nacho” Figueras stands by the side of a training ring, a cool, nonchalant figure in white denim pants, suede loafers and a black piqué shirt bearing his team name — Black Watch — and the recognizable emblem of Polo Ralph Lauren, the brand he has been endorsing for a decade. He had earlier made a joke about the heat; it is his first time in Asia so you know that he’s not used to the sticky weather in these parts. But he seems to have adjusted well enough, barely sweating as he goes up to talk to each of the four young riders cantering around the ring.

“What advice did you give them?” I ask when he comes back to watch on the sidelines.

He turns to me and says, “They already know what they need to do. I didn’t have to tell them anything. I will probably learn from them more than they will learn from me.”

It would have been so easy to get lost in those words. Argentina-born Nacho Figueras, voted second most handsome man on the planet last year — after Robert Pattinson and ahead of Brad Pitt’s number 3 — replies with the most direct gaze and a quietly sincere tone. But if you knew the background of these kids, you would grasp the heavy meaning behind what he said.

That afternoon, Nacho was giving a charity riding clinic to four riders from Singapore’s Riding for the Disabled Association (RDA). Each of these kids have a handicap, either mental or physical, and were encouraged to take up riding as a source of therapy. For some of these kids, however, riding was more than just a drill activity. One of them, 16-year-old Max Tan who suffers from cerebral palsy, has even won two gold medals at the Paralympics in China two years ago.

Right before the riding clinic, Nacho and Ralph Lauren Fragrances donated SGD10,000 to the organization. The charitable act is nothing new to Nacho, who, in the States, is involved with Work To Ride, an organization that works with inner-city kids in Philadelphia, encouraging them to help take care of horses and get them off the streets. He also plays in matches in New York, against Prince Harry, no less, to help raise funds for kids in Africa. You see, even if it would be so easy to, it’s cliché to think of Nacho Figueras as just another pretty face.

Because he’s amazingly good at what he does. If you think about it, Nacho Figueras is the perfect ambassador for a pristine brand like Ralph Lauren and what seems to be an equally noble sport. He’s easy to look at. He’s got that confident countenance that suggests ease with one’s self, rather than a deep-seated self-awareness. And Nacho, who has been playing polo since he was nine, is very focused when it comes to promoting what he believes in, essentially his sport, his team and the brand that has helped these become more recognizable. While it’s easy to imagine the Argentinian personality as the romantic steed-seated hero in some drugstore paperback, it’s hard to continue doing so when what he really wants to talk about is how polo actually “integrates people of all ages and gender.”

Also, he seems to be a paragon of good and domestic virtue: he obviously adores his wife of 11 years, the former model Delfina Blaquier, and their three kids (Hilario, 10; Aurora, 5; and Artemio, still a baby). They travel with him everywhere he goes and are a part of the Ralph Lauren lifestyle as much as he is. In the new video promoting the World of Polo, composed of the three fragrances that Nacho now endorses (Polo Black, Polo Modern Reserve and Polo Blue), the camera captures scenes of him carousing the aspirational high life, “sailing with his young family off the coast of Punta del Este, Uruguay and breeding horses on his ranch outside of Buenos Aires.”

Prior to Nacho Figueras, polo was a sport seemingly played only by the elite in Hamptons or the Palm Beach set. Now it’s thrust into the Oprah spotlight, given space on Page Six, and is a legitimate vehicle for raising funds or awareness for charity. Nacho has given polo mass recognition and an active presence on Twitter. Backed up by Ralph Lauren, the so-called “David Beckham of polo” has given the sport an icon, one that men can, albeit grudgingly, respect and can make society girls and Internet fans alike swoon over.

YOUNG STAR: What made you agree to endorsing Ralph Lauren?

NACHO FIGUERAS: Ralph Lauren is all about a lifestyle. It’s not just a fashion brand or a fragrance brand. It’s also about the man who wears the fragrance and I think that I am that guy. I am living that great life. I have been endorsing Ralph Lauren for 10 years and the fragrances, starting with Polo Black for five.

What is the best thing about working with Ralph Lauren?

Ralph Lauren treats everyone that works for him like family. Polo Ralph Lauren is the whole vision of what he wanted to do when he started the company 47 years ago.

It’s great to be working with the brand because one of my dreams in life is to raise polo to the next level and to raise awareness about the sport. And to have him as a partner in this is amazing. What he has done for me is amazing.

In the many years you’ve worked with Ralph Lauren, how have you seen the brand evolve?

A lot has really happened but I think what’s really important right now is that Ralph Lauren has bought back and now controls all its Asian licenses. So I think were now going to see many huge differences in what Ralph Lauren used to be in Asia and what its going to be today. That’s also one of the reasons I’m here. It’s to make a statement about Ralph Lauren coming to Asia.

Many people think that polo is an elite sport that can only be played by the rich. Is this really true?

Polo was the bridge between me, a random guy from Argentina, and being someone who plays polo with Prince Harry. When I started, polo was not something that I thought could only be played by the rich. I had the passion to play and now polo is the reason that I travel all over the world, meeting new people. It opened a lot of doors for me.

You have to be at the right place. For example, here in Singapore, you have a club like this in the middle of the city with barns and horses. If there is a willingness to be a polo player, if one day a kid wakes up and tells himself I want to be this, all it takes for him is to volunteer to work with the horses, learn to ride and then, if he really has a passion for it, he can make it.

Describe your personal style.

When I am playing polo, obviously, I am wearing only a shirt. But otherwise, I’ve always preferred the elegant side of a man. I like to dress up. It’s a shame how people are slowly losing that elegance now. Before, people used to always wear a hat, suits and tie to work. But now, it’s not that important.

If not polo, what would you be doing?

I would have liked to be an artist. An architect.

Who is the sports figure that you most admire?

It used to be Tiger Woods. Now, it’s Michael Jordan and Lance Armstrong.

What is it like playing polo against Prince Harry?

It’s great. But I think the most important thing about playing with Prince Harry is that we raise money for his charities for these kids in Lesoto, Africa. He really cares about what he’s doing and you feel that when you talk to him.

Do you get competitive sometimes?

Sometimes? No. Always. I’m very competitive.

How was it like appearing on Gossip Girl?

It was fun. For me, though, it was one more step to promoting the sport and my team. I look at it that way. Nothing more than that.

If you were to do more shows or maybe even a movie, who would you like to work with?

It would have to make sense. The Gossip Girl thing worked because it was me playing polo, wearing my shirt. I don’t really think about becoming a romantic character in, for example, the Twilight movies. I would only do things that, I believe, would help my mission and what I’m trying to achieve.

Now, I think Meryl Streep is amazing, but, why, when — I don’t know.

Well, last year Vanity Fair had a poll and you were voted second Most Handsome Man in the World, after Robert Pattinson. What do you think of that?

Hmmm…I think that’s bulls%&t. (Laughs) But really, I have this recognition factor and I’d like to use that to promote my sport.

Many press people peg you as the romantic hero type because of how you look. Are you romantic in real life?

You would have to ask someone else but yes, I think so. I’ve been married 11 years to my wife and, that long, you better be romantic. 

What scent do you like smelling on a woman?

Roses.

What keeps you grounded?

My wife, my kids. Even my parents have always been great.

What are your proudest moments as a father?

Getting to know my children and seeing their personalities develop is a great source of pride. My eldest son is 10 years old and is now playing polo. I feel so proud watching him play and feel immense joy when we play polo together. My daughter is growing into a real young lady; she is so precious to me. My third child was recently born, another son and it’s an incredible feeling watching him grow every day. 

What advice do you give your eldest son when he plays polo?

Mainly to try his best and to care about what he does. To pay attention. Have fun. He’s too young for anything serious. For me, it’s all about being together. For him, it’s learning about the responsibilities of taking care of horses and playing polo.

What do you indulge in?

I enjoy traveling a lot. That’s my life. I want to be able to go to many different places. It’s my first time in Asia. I still have a long way to go.

And horses. Having 250 horses is a luxury. Obviously, there’s a whole business behind it. But I love breeding horses.

Art is also a passion.

Do you have a favorite artist?

I like contemporary art. I like Warhol, Pollock, Kandinsky.

You paint yourself. What’s your style?

Abstract. Very colorful. I have a studio in my house in Argentina. Painting is how I get disconnected from everything.

Are any of your paintings for sale?

No. I sell too many things already.

Do you have other secret talents aside from polo and painting?

I can’t tell you all my secrets… But, I cook every once in a while. Barbecue.

Do you also dance the tango?

I sing better than I dance.

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For more on Nacho Figueras, follow him on @nachofigueras or be a fan on his Facebook fan page.