AFTER—of course the white linen backs had to be lined. They only wanted black toppers for every other chair and then the picture frame fabric in between (some are square and some are oval).
The topper fabric was a shiny black chintz—so it looks somewhat like leather. The designer decided no piping—which I thought turned out nice.
I did attach some ribbon ties under the skirt next to the back legs, so I could strap the seats on more securely….since they are leather and slippery seats underneath.