Loan Chabanol was born in Paris, France, and is of Vietnamese, German, and Italian descent. Loan grew up in the south of France where she was discovered during the prestigious Elite modeling contest. At the age of 16, Loan began an international modeling career. She has graced the covers of fashion magazines such as Elle, Marie Claire, Jalouse, and Glamour. After a career in TV commercials, Loan pursued acting at Lee Strasberg Institute in New York.