Day's photographs came to public attention through her fashion editorial for The Face titled, "The Third Summer of Love" published in July 1990.
[9] Day retreated from fashion work in the wake of the heroin chic debate, instead choosing to tour America with the band Pusherman and concentrate on her documentary photography.
Her autobiographical book, Diary was published by Krus Verlag in 2000, and contained frank and at times shocking images of Day and her friends.
[10] The images in Diary featured young people hanging out, taking drugs and having sex, and have been compared to the documentary realism of Nan Goldin.
In addition to these solo exhibitions, Day also participated in the exhibitions Imperfect Beauty at the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, curated by Charlotte Cotton in 2000; Chic Clicks at the Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston, curated by Ulrich Lehmann in 2002; Not in Fashion, Museum für Moderne Kunst MMK, Frankfurt, 2010.
[citation needed] During the 2000s Day returned to fashion photography, working for British, French and Italian Vogue,[11] Arena and Vivienne Westwood, amongst others.
In 2007, Day was invited to participate in the exhibition "The Face of Fashion", curated by Susan Bright at the National Portrait Gallery, London.
[15][16][17] Writing in The Daily Telegraph, in late August 2010, Belinda White said, "Corinne opened the door for a whole generation of photographers, designers, models and stylists who suddenly saw that the fashion industry didn't have to be this exclusive club for the privileged and perfect.