The Bag Icon

Seneca Berniard Connor is an attorney, entrepreneur, wife, mother, and the visionary founder behind The Bag Icon — an affordable luxury handbag and accessories brand redefining what modern, inclusive luxury looks like for the conscious woman.

Born and raised in Bakersfield, California, Seneca grew up with big dreams and an unshakable work ethic. Her childhood was a blend of books, sports, travel, etiquette classes, and faith — experiences that quietly shaped her desire to see the world and build a life far beyond what she once knew. After high school, she followed that ambition straight to Los Angeles, beginning her undergraduate studies at UCLA, where her deep love for the city first took root.

Determined to carve her own path, Seneca put herself through college, working while attending classes and learning early what resilience really meant. She later enrolled in the evening program at Loyola Law School, working full-time by day and attending classes four nights a week. The journey was demanding — financially, emotionally, and mentally — but she persevered. She completed the rigorous program in 3.5 years, graduating with a law degree she worked tirelessly to earn.

Seneca began her legal career as a Deputy Public Defender for Los Angeles County, passionately defending indigent clients and ensuring their constitutional rights were protected. Today, she practices corporate immigration law and oversees both immigration and global mobility programs for a Fortune 15 company, helping individuals and organizations navigate international transitions and opportunities.

But her entrepreneurial heart led her down a new path.

In October 2022, Seneca launched The Bag Icon, a brand rooted in a powerful belief:

Luxury should empower women — not exclude them or drain their financial goals.

Inspired by her own love for handbags, she set out to create high-quality, leather, timeless pieces at an accessible price point. Her collections are named after iconic women throughout history, starting with the women that shaped her own life— barrier-breakers, pioneers, and fierce leaders whose stories mirror the strength she aims to celebrate in every customer.

Her most personal creation, The Sharon Claudia, honors her mother — the embodiment of beauty, elegance, humor, generosity, and unconditional love. After losing her mother suddenly on Mother’s Day to frontal temporal lobe dementia, Seneca designed the handbag as a tribute to her legacy. A portion of proceeds are donated to the Dementia Society of America, a mission especially meaningful to Seneca, who, as a Black woman, understands the disproportionate rates of dementia affecting her community.

Beyond her work and her brand, Seneca’s greatest joy is her family. She is a wife and a mother to her spirited six-year-old son, Ronan — the light of her life and her daily reminder of what truly matters.

Seneca does not believe in luck. She believes in hard work, preparation, excellence, and prayer — values that have shaped every chapter of her journey. Nothing in her life came easily, but every victory is sweeter because of what it took to get there.

Today, through The Bag Icon, Seneca is building more than a fashion brand.

She is creating a movement — one where women look amazing, feel empowered, and keep their coins for the dreams that matter most.

Her story is one of resilience, purpose, and deep-rooted elegance.

And through her work, she invites every woman to embrace her own iconic journey.