Capote and Halston had long been close friends.  In 1966, to honor the enormous success of "In Cold Blood", Capote hosted a spectacular gathering in New York City – The Black and White Ball  – widely considered to have been the most famous party of the 20th century, and among the many designers eager to dress the A-List attendees was newcomer Halston, who created the now iconic Bunny Mask worn by Candice Bergen. A few months after the present item's inscription, Halston hosted a party in Capote's honor for his two-week engagement at the Mitzi E. Newhouse Theater, where he was reading from his short stories and was dressed by Halston in a gray cardigan sweater over a gray silk shirt, gray flannel pants and black velvet slippers. Halston told the Times that "Truman is the perfect client," adding that "it was all Truman's idea. He told me exactly what he wanted, right down to the mother-of-pearl buttons on the sweater. I didn't have to do much work at all." (Judy Klemesrud, "The Evening Hours," NYT, December 19, 1980)