Matchesfashion.com founders deny sale rumours

London-based fashion luxury retailer Matchesfashion.com co-founders, Tom and Ruth Chapman have denied previous reports stating they had taken on investment bankers Morgan Stanley to explore "strategic options" for the potential sale of their fashion company.

The Sunday Times published a report earlier this week, quoting unnamed financial sources, which said the online business and five fashion boutiques that make up Matchesfashion.com could be valued at 200 million pounds. Responding to the report in question in a statement, Tom Chapman commented: "Naturally we are regularly assessing our strategic options for the business, but there is no ongoing process at present and this article is unfounded and purely speculative."

"We have obviously been observing the latest industry developments and will always evaluate the options and what's best for the business long term, especially in the light of our continuing excellent performance and growth. Matchesfashion.com has long been a trailblazer for the integration of online and offline luxury platforms and we've now moved beyond the omnichannel trends of last year and are simply focused on executing the best experience in modern luxury commerce," concluded Chapman.

Founded by the Chapmans in 1987, Matchesfashion.com has grown from a single store in Wimbledon to an established luxury retailer, with the couple currently owning the majority of the company, with stakeholder Scottish Equity Partners as holding a minority share.