Ruth Chapman co-founded MATCHESFASHION.COM as a single brick-and-mortar fashion store in Wimbledon, London in 1987. The couple expanded the luxury fashion chain to 14 stores in London, including launching franchise stores for MaxMara and Diane von Furstenberg. It went on to become the largest independent luxury fashion retailer in London.

Ruth was known in the industry for working with new and up-and-coming talent, and has said that "discovering" new designers was key to the business' early success. Ruth was credited with bringing designers including Versace, Prada and Bottega Veneta to the UK.

Ruth supported The Telegraph's Women Mean Business campaign which aimed to close the finance gap between female and male entrepreneurs. Ruth is a Patron of The Prince's Trust's Women Supporting Women campaign.

In 2017, Ruth and her husband Tom received the Drapers Award for Lifetime Achievement. In 2018, Chapman was shortlisted for the Veuve Clicquot Business Woman of the Year Award.