Fast-snarking funny girl Lena Dunham and her gal pals aren’t the type to take their nightlife lightly, but rather face it with epic banter and fierce wit. Following the star-studded premiere of season two of the HBO hit Girls, they shimmied over to the after-party at Capitale in the LES, where, despite their charming slacker pretensions, they handled their toast-of-the-town duties with 20-something ease, mingling with girl-power pioneers Cindy Sherman and Debbie Harry, all while plotting their complete domination of the entertainment industrial complex.

Photos by Nicholas Hunt for Patrick McMullan