This is my third trip to Jaipur in less than a year. In all my visits, I have tried to meet with Padmanabh Singh, better known by his nickname, Pacho. He hails from the ancestral rulers of Jaipur. His great-grandfather Man Singh II was the last ruler of the princely state before his grandfather Maharaja Bhawani Singh. Bhawani Singh’s only child is Pacho’s mother, Diya Kumari, currently the deputy chief minister of Rajasthan as part of the BJP government. So, Bhawani Singh had to adopt his grandson to ensure patrilineal customs.
Pacho, 26, is globally renowned already. Arguably, he is among India’s best known names abroad in the august company of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Shah Rukh Khan.
Pacho grew up in Jaipur, but studied in the UK and then Rome, Italy, where he became involved in the country’s fashion and luxury scene thanks to his movie-star looks. He featured in many international magazines and even did a campaign for Dolce & Gabbana. Back home in Jaipur, Pacho is not only bringing more international culture and savoir-faire to the Pink City, he’s also its biggest ambassador.
My trips to Jaipur have involved events that did concern him somehow—a polo match that he captained last year and his wildly famous Holi party this year. I never managed more than an introduction. But now that American sportswear brand US Polo Association has signed him on as a global brand ambassador, I requested an interview. It was a “maybe” five minutes until Pacho, his managers and I walked away from the party up to a private terrace where he and I would sit down for a long-awaited conversation.
This collaboration with USPA, the official brand for the governing body of polo in the United States, combines Pacho’s two great loves: polo and fashion. “I am very excited about this partnership because of my love for polo and the beautiful animal that the horse is,” he tells me. “We’ve been in talks with their CEO Michael Prince for many years about how to promote the sport, and it has transcended into the coming together of our two cultures.
“One of the core features of this partnership is the Marwari horse. It is one of India’s indigenous breeds from Rajasthan, and is one of the most beautiful animals in the world. Sadly, it’s a dwindling breed, but you will see the Marwari horse front and centre of this campaign. It’s amazing how fashion can have an impact. All our dynasties and places were built on the backs of these horses, quite literally.”
Pacho reminds us that during World War I, an Indian cavalry fought the Battle of Haifa riding the Marwari horses. “This was the last time the Marwari horse was used in battle, and it has brought victory. They are a great and majestic breed,” he passionately reiterates.
The capsule collection is delightfully stylish. It is preppy and polo-inspired with zardozi crests, white pants and draws from the family’s Jaipur flag. “We’ve designed the collection together,” Pacho elaborates. “It is a marriage between my life and the USPA style. Its core feature is the Pachranga, the colours of our Jaipur Polo Team jersey. The Pachranga is very special to me and our family, one of our ancestors went and fought a war in Afghanistan and conquered five tribes. They took a colour for each of the tribes and that became our standard, our flag. When my great-grandfather launched the Jaipur Polo Team, he wore the Pachranga as their jersey. USPA found this exciting too. You’ll see Pachrangas everywhere, jerseys and the inside of collars.”
Not since Maharani Gayatri Devi has Jaipur had a global face or as much global attention. Gayatri Devi was Pacho’s great-grandfather Man Singh II’s third wife, a polo player and an internationally renowned fashion icon. Legendary photographer Cecil Beaton has photographed her for ‘Vogue’ magazine naming her among the 10 most beautiful women in the world. Jacqueline Kennedy had visited her in Jaipur. “It isn’t fair to compare me to Gayatri Devi; what she has done for fashion, the impact she has had, is incomparable. She inspired men but also women, to be proud of themselves and not succumb to patriarchy or pressures of society. She brought glamour to Jaipur. Through her style and her social work; and I’m just very grateful to have that legacy in the family,” Pacho says.
“I grew up here, I know Jaipur inside out. I appreciate how beautiful the city is, there’s something for everybody here—it’s magical. It is my dream to get more and more people to experience Jaipur, whether through polo or fashion or whatever else Jaipur has to offer. The moment USPA talks about the Marwari breed and their more than 1,000 stores across the world talks about it, it's quite another thing. It is a meaningful partnership.”
What is Pacho’s personal dressing style? “Very classic,” he replies. “Of late I’ve been trying out something new. I love wearing Rajasthani items. I wear a lot of mulmul, jootis, and linen—clothes that are indigenous to this part of the world. I love the Rajasthani farmer’s shirt. It’s like a short kurta with a pleat in the front and two pleats at the back. It’s an airy, boxy, mulmul shirt with a simple Nehru collar. It’s my go-to. Then, a lot of my fashion revolves around before and after polo, too, since I play so much of it. You’ll see me in a lot of polo whites, and sweaty, dirty polo shirts,” he laughs.
Pacho’s parties, be they Holi, Diwali, or Navratri, are in equal parts ceremonial and raging. He has brought Jaipur back to its spot as an international hotspot. “Jaipur has always been about celebrating things in a special way,” he offers. Does he find it hard to make friends in all the pomp and noise? “I think of myself as a very good judge of character. You’ll always find people that inspire love in you and hope that you can inspire love in them too. I’m grateful for the relationships that I have and grateful for the people that I have them with.”
Is Pacho, one of India’s most eligible bachelors, going to get married anytime soon? “No, not anytime soon,” he says shyly.
