María Vazquez Takes the Reins of Her Own Story

 

A fashion model, television host, entrepreneur, designer, and three-time Dancing with the Stars competitor in her native Argentina, Vazquez has long been one of her country’s defining style icons. Yet beneath the luminous résumé and flawless exterior lies a woman of grounding simplicity—someone whose unpretentious ease puts everyone around her at comfort.

 

It’s not just that she’s striking—though she is, even barefaced in a gray tank and wide-legged jeans. It’s her understated confidence and genuine warmth that truly draw people in.

 

Born in Buenos Aires into a diplomatic family, Vazquez spent much of her childhood abroad as her father served as Argentina’s ambassador to Switzerland, Peru, Chile, the Dominican Republic, and the United States. She attended high school in New York City, where she was first scouted for modeling.

 

“My parents didn’t want me in that world,” she says. “They wanted a more traditional career for me.”

 

She honored their wishes, finished high school, and returned to Argentina to study political science. “By then I was 19, and I was doing so well in school that my parents couldn’t really object. I went to an agency in Buenos Aires, started modeling locally, and worked as a TV host. I interviewed people like Mick Jagger and Robbie Williams and traveled everywhere.”

 

Her creative ambitions soon expanded beyond the camera. She developed two fragrances—Mon Ame and Elegance—sold at Duty Free shops across Argentina. Five years ago, she co-founded Rokkus, a jewelry line now carried by Buenos Aires’s prestigious Alvear Palace Hotel.

 

“We work with silver, gold, talismans, quartz, and the Argentinian sun motif, but we give everything a truly unique twist,” she says.

 

The Tranquera collection pays tribute to Argentina’s farm heritage, transforming fences, chains, and locks into refined adornments. By steering clear of predictable equestrian symbols—saddles, spurs, polo mallets—Vazquez offers a fresh, personal interpretation of her culture.

 

“My style is very simple and elegant, but with a twist,” she explains. “I like feminine, sexy shapes with a boho, romantic, rocker edge.”

 

That aesthetic finds its fullest expression in her collaboration with Lanhtropy, the Miami-based linen brand founded in 2016 by Ani Ponce de León. The two met at a polo match, where Ponce de León was selling her designs.

 

“What struck me most about María was her simplicity,” Ponce de León recalls. “Behind that admired figure is a genuine, warm woman with a very authentic connection to nature and a beautifully simple way of seeing life. I felt an immediate connection and deep trust. From that moment, a lovely friendship began. We collaborated on a capsule collection and quickly realized how aligned we were—our aesthetic vision and values so similar. When she officially joined the company in 2021, it felt completely natural. We already knew we shared much more than a love for fashion—we shared a way of living.”

 

“I had always admired Lanhtropy’s beautiful aesthetic and felt entirely aligned with its identity and values,” Vazquez adds. “The Lanhtropy lifestyle mirrors the life I actually live—connected to nature, embracing simplicity, and valuing authenticity and beauty in everyday things. We’ve produced in Vietnam from the very start, working with the same partner who is now one of our closest collaborators. To us, relationships with our suppliers matter as much as those with our clients and team.”

 

Though known for its metallic linen pieces—yes, metallic linen that is wearable, washable, and even ironable—Lanhtropy has expanded into fall and winter fabrics like velvet, wool, cashmere, and suede.

 

“The old favorites are simply reimagined in new materials,” Vazquez says. “If you’re a Lanhtropy girl—or guy—you’ll still find your favorite shirt, just transformed. The essence is always there.”

 

Anthropologie and Nordstrom now carry select Lanhtropy styles, and the brand operates boutiques in Key Biscayne, Coral Gables, and Uruguay (Ponce de León’s homeland). Next up: a store in Buenos Aires.

 

“For me, María is like the finishing touch—the seal—of the brand,” Ponce de León explains. “She truly embodies what Lanhtropy stands for and is the clearest reflection that this is a great brand and a strong company. María brings so much more than her image or style—she brings heart, commitment, and incredible support. She gives us motivation and confidence to keep moving forward. She’s always there behind every new idea, every project we dream up, encouraging us to grow and stay true to our beliefs. Working with her feels natural and harmonious. We share the same vision and trust, and that makes everything flow. In many ways, María doesn’t just represent the brand—she strengthens it.”

 

“We work hard, and everything is very authentic and genuine,” Vazquez says. “It’s not just business and making money. It’s about doing what we love with friends and family. When you create with those principles, your work becomes more consistent—and you get where you want to go anyway.”

 

Of all her roles, the ones Vazquez treasures most are wife and mother. She and Cambiaso have three children: Mia, 23; Poroto, 20; and Myla, 15. Both Mia and Poroto are already professional polo stars—Mia with a 9-goal handicap, Poroto with a 10-goal, currently ranked among the world’s top three players by the World Polo Tour.

 

“I met Adolfo when I was 19,” Vazquez says. “It was at a photo shoot in Buenos Aires in 1994. I had just been voted Best Model of the Year, and Adolfo had just won his first Argentine Open. We clicked immediately and started dating. I quit college, became a full-time model and TV host, and traveled with him to his matches.”

 

The couple married seven years later.

 

“When we started going out, Adolfo wasn’t very well-known,” she continues. “He wasn’t the ‘Adolfo’ you know today. I had our first child at 27, and I devoted all my time to my family. Modeling came second—but that was my choice. I chose to be present for my family and my husband. In my spare time, I did modeling, Dancing with the Stars, and TV hosting. I consider us a team.”

 

Curiously, Vazquez doesn’t particularly care for horses (the famed Cuartetera aside) or even polo. She’s a city girl at heart, though she admits to doting on her five donkeys and two miniature horses.

 

“I don’t come from polo, and that was very appealing to Adolfo,” she says. “We connect on values. We’re family-oriented. We don’t like to party. We prefer quiet—drinking mate, having a barbecue, enjoying simple things. I love supporting him, and I’m my family’s biggest fan. But at the same time, I have my own life.”

 

That grounded spirit—paired with her elegance and drive—makes María Vazquez far more than a model or muse. She is a woman in motion, constantly creating and forging ahead.

 

“I have a great capacity to reinvent myself and adapt,” she says. “I stay loyal to what I believe in.”

 

 

Rapid Fire with María Vazquez

Favorite Palm Beach restaurants for a girls’ night out: Sant Ambroeus, Palm Beach Grill, Le Bilboquet, and Swifty’s

 

Likes to shop: All along Worth Avenue and anywhere at The Royal Poinciana Plaza

 

Fitness routine: I train every day. I include weights and cardio, and I take both tennis and dance lessons twice a week and make sure to run 10 kilometers once a week.

 

Go-to footwear: Sneakers (I’m a huge Golden Goose fan) and high boots (usually Gianvito Rossi)

 

Trend she’d like to see go away: The oversize look

 

One Lanhtropy piece every woman should own: Definitely our Bubble Shirt

 

Story Credits:

 

Shot by Palm Beach Illustrated on location at Valiente Polo Facility, Wellington

 

Clothing: Lanhtropy

 

Jewelry: Rokkus

 

Production editor: Stephanie Gates

 

Hair and makeup: Deborah Koepper, Deborah Koepper Beauty, Palm Beach